


Do I feel lucky?

by nobetterlove



Category: 13 Reasons Why (TV), Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher
Genre: AU, Alternate Event, Drive-Ins, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, M/M, Minor Violence, Plot Devices, Porn, Schmoop, Smut, TW: Drugs, crestmont, dirty harry - Freeform, platonic Hannah love, talk of drug use, timeline change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-10-26 17:53:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 49,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10791693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nobetterlove/pseuds/nobetterlove
Summary: Instead of Jessica's party, Tony convinces Clay to have a different sort of night. Abuse of Dirty Harry quotes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, guys! This is the first chapter of a multi-chapter fic. I've only wrote the first couple chapters, so I don't know how long it's gonna turn out. If you have an idea of anything you want to see in it, comment at the end.   
> Again, thanks for reading!

Tony could feel his phone vibrate against his ass, the thing sitting in his pocket, having made the same noise three times in the last ten minutes. He knew exactly who was on the other side of the phone, trying desperately to get ahold of him. Clay, who he'd been hanging out with all summer long, was still trying to convince him to go to Jessica's 'end of the summer' party. A party where all the junior class would be drunk off their asses, having sex with whoever they wanted, wherever they wanted. Still a private person, Tony didn't really like the crowds. Too much was going on all at one time, too much could happen and spiral out of control. 

When the phone vibrated for the fourth time, Tony leaned back, grabbing a towel to quickly wipe the oil from his hands. The top of his coveralls came off next, both arms being tied around his waist, in a half ass attempt to keep himself in the garage, when he knew he'd be somewhere with Clay, no matter what. 

Sighing, the boy dug into the pocket of his jeans, pulling out his phone to read all four of the messages his best friend sent. If it weren't for the blossom of affection that bloomed in his chest where Clay was concerned, Tony probably would've been bothered by the sheer amount of attention being place on him, but never with Clay. No, Clay got the world. Always. 

Clay: We don't have to go for long.  
Clay: I know you hate parties, but I'm trying to live a little.  
Clay: Okay, that sounded stupid.  
Clay: We don't need to party, if you really don't want to. 

Tony chuckled, shaking his head at the nature of his friend's behavior. It was like there was a never ending narrative running through Clay's mind and out his mouth. Maybe not with other's, but Tony heard some interestingly strung together thoughts come out of his friend's trap. A soft sigh escaped his lips. He could make Clay happy and go to the party, or, they could enjoy the normalcy of an evening spent doing anything but that. Selfishly, Tony knew he'd go for the latter. 

Besides, having Clay all to himself was just too good of a thing to pass up. The passed few weeks of summer made him stingy with his Jensen time. Aside from Skye, Clay and Tony were always together, just the two of them. Another sigh, Tony hit the box to reply. 

Tony: Dude, this party is gonna be like just the rest. Let's do something else.  
Tony: There's a drive-in showing all the Dirty Harry films.  
Tony: I know you can't pass up Clint Eastwood... 

Tony hit send, hoping the enticement of some good old fashion gunman action would convince Clay there were better ways to spend their time, especially together. 

Since school started just days before, the two of them were insanely busy. Tony's dad pressing his pulse point the second he walked in the door for help in the garage. Without his extra set of hands to help throughout the day, Mr. Padilla drowned in work until Tony got home. They were hiring someone new the next week, which would free up some of Tony's time, but he knew school would suck the hours they'd been spending together dry. Tony wanted to soak up as much time with the other boy as possible. 

Not to say that he didn't always want to do that. Their friendship, of almost ten years now, was full of lots of time spent together. Yet, something was changing between the two of them. They'd grown closer over the summer and Clay's admittance to being bisexual really opened up the floodgates Tony'd been trying to keep locked tight for ages now. Clay liked boys. There was a chance that- maybe something could come from their already dynamite connection. 

Sucking in a breath as he shook his head, Tony glanced down at the screen when his phone vibrated again, Clay's name lighting up the face of it. 

Clay: You gotta ask yourself, "do I feel lucky?"  
Clay: Well, do ya punk?  
Clay: Okay, I'm sold. You're a shit. The next time there's a party, you owe me one! 

Sucking in a breath of relief, Tony allowed himself to laugh at Clay's quotation of his favorite scene. They knew each other too well, he thought, both able to break the other down in ways such as this. He grinned, and typed out a quick response. 

Tony: I do, Clay. I'll be there in an hour.  
Tony: Don't forget the drinks this time! 

\--- 

A little over an hour later, Tony pulled up outside of Clay's house, parking the Mustang against the curb in what felt like 'his' spot. Every day this summer, the vintage car sat in that very spot, Clay claiming more of his heart, and the Mustang leaving more of its oil on the pavement as the days passed. 

Something inside of him told him tonight was the night. It seemed like they'd been dancing around each other forever. After Clay's failed attempts to wonder and woo Hannah Baker the entirety of last year, his best friend wanted simplicity, and to be completely honest about himself. Hence the bisexual news slipping out so easily from those kissable lips. From that point on, they did what they wanted, growing closer by the second. Tony couldn't remember why they weren't together already. 

Well, he could. He'd been 'in like' with Clay for so long now that he didn't want to ruin the friendship they'd been building. It was something; something to find another person who made you feel whole just by being there. There wasn't a chance in hell he'd ever do anything to purposely lose that. 

Gathering himself, Tony took a calming breath and cracked open the door, stepping out of the Mustang. His look for the evening consisted of dark denim jeans and his go-to boots. They were unlaced, the top of black socks peaking out of them ever so slightly. His mother produced a bag when he walked in the kitchen after his day of work, showing him the blue button up that looked almost the color of Clay's eyes. "For your date," she told him, silencing any words that would negate the fact that it was one. "Take it. Look good, mi hijo." And that was that. He now sported it, the first few buttons open to reveal the top of his favorite white tank top. 

Of course, he was running a little late because his hair wouldn't cooperate. Not giving himself much time, Tony couldn't get the curl to settle like it normally did, the squiggle of it still sitting teasingly against his forehead. Despite this not being a date, Tony wanted to look his best, and never appreciated when his hair would not cooperate to let him do so. 

Looking much like the 1950's greaser he practically was, the boy stood outside Clay's door, tapping lightly on it like he would normally do. 

Clay must've been waiting for him. Not even a second later, the heavy thing pulled open, revealing his best friend in all his handsome glory. Instead of the hoodie like normal, Clay sported a white button up, the pull of it against his chest doing nothing to hide the growth spurt he'd been going through all summer. "Wow," Tony blurted, his eyes busy taking in everything Clay had to offer. He cleared his throat, suddenly realizing what came out of his mouth. "I mean, I didn't know you had anything other than hoodies. You look... you look great, Clay," he finally got out, embarrassed to have shown some of his hand. 

Clay laughed, an unmistakable tint of pink on his cheeks. "My mom got it for me, actually. Thought I might need some 'adult' stuff now that I'm older, or whatever," the taller boy rolled his eyes as he said this. Tony almost didn't believe it, that pink turning into a deeper red as Clay talked. It smelt like their mothers were conspiring against them, buying them date outfits. He didn't voice that, though. The thought almost laughable, no matter how close it was to the truth. 

Clay's, 'you look great, yourself' reminded him where he was, who he was with. Tony looked up, brown catching blue. 

"And your hair is curly," Clay continued, this time, Tony turning the pink hue. "I like it. You don't ever let me see you like this. I-" he stopped, reaching with long fingers to pull on Tony's wave. "I like it," Clay repeated.

Tony's heart beat a little faster at that. He'd never personally liked the curl in his hair, but dealt with it. His own hand came up when Clay's returned to his side, shorter fingers tugged at that same piece of hair, a new outlook on 'the curl'. 

"I'll leave it this way more often, then. I... didn't give myself enough time to do it like I normally would." He admitted it slowly, watching the amusement play across Clay's face. "Anyways. Are you ready to go? I brought blankets so we can sit on the hood like last time." 

Clay nodded, bringing the bag of sodas up to show him. "And I've got the goods. All our favorites accounted for." The boy smiled, taking a step out of the house to join Tony on the porch. "Go ahead, make my day." The taller boy said, his voice dropping. 

Tony laughed, a pure sound he didn't let be heard often. He bumped his shoulder against Clay's, shaking his head. 

"Get in the car, Jensen." 

\--- 

The drive to their destination was an easy one. Tony pushed a tape into the cassette player, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel while Clay took lead vocals. They'd perfected this routine in their recent time together. The comfort and ease between them seemed to be doing them both a lot of good. He'd never seen Clay so relaxed. Something Mrs. Jensen told him was solely based on their time together. For the first time, his best buddy wasn't under his mama's thumb. 

"There it is," he heard Clay mumble, the blue eyed boy's excitement palpable, thrumming hot and thick in the space between them. Tony couldn't help but beam, quickly paying their bid for all three movies. This being another one of their favorite activities, the two boys had a spot they liked, which happened to be tucked away, so they never worried anyone would be in it. From the hood of the car, they could see the screen at an angle where they could relax back comfortably. Tony watched Episodes IV-VI of Star Wars in that very spot. 

Pulling in, Tony turned to Clay, placing a hand atop of his on the boy's thigh. "Thanks for making Dirty Harry cooler than Jess's party. I just... have a feeling, you know. We're much better of with Clint and his .44 magnum," Tony said softly, leaning forward to nuzzle Clay's cheek lightly. 

He couldn't say why he did that, maybe the need to be close to the other taking him over. Where their skin met felt on fire, alive with feeling, scorching hot. His body shifted on the seat to change the direction of his thoughts.

As he pulled back, Tony noticed Clay obviously shiver. His cheeks took up that pink color again, spots of heavy flush prominent by his cheekbones.

"I- uh. You're welcome. We can break into your brother's stash of cheap beer later, have a party of our own." Clay replied, squirming in his own seat, palms hot against the leather. "You're were right, anyway. I can't pass up a night with Clint." He smiled lightly, tapping Tony on the shoulder, the touch lingering just an extra second longer. 

A voice over loud speaker calling for spill clean up seemed to shake the other boy, Clay retracting his hand to reach over the seat. He grabbed the sodas, gesturing to the blankets. "Don't be lazy, Padilla. Get the comfies." 

The shorter boy chuckled, shaking his head at the weirdness of who Clay was. "Got it. Sorry, I didn't bring your teddy," Tony joked back, grabbing the blankets and exiting the car.

They fell into another comfortable rhythm then. The two decking out the hood with the correct set up of pillows, blankets, and accessible snacks. By the time they were dimming the lights, both he and Clay were sprawled on top of the hood, their arms and legs pressed together tightly. 

Looking up, Tony noticed how gorgeous the night sky ended up being. The stars shone brightly, illuminating around them just enough to see Clay's face. As the snacks danced upon the big screen, advertising for the snack bar, Tony looked at his best friend, mesmerized by the way the light made his face shine. 

Clay looked at him then, like there was some unknown force pushing them together. The taller boy reached down and interlocked their fingers, giving Tony's a squeeze. "You don't have to say anything. I feel it, too," Clay spoke softly, leaning his head against Tony's shoulder while he did.

Tony made the next move, turning his own head to finally, after so many thoughts and fantasies, press his lips against Clay's. A low moan left his chest before he could work to keep it in, the colliding of Clay's scent, the softness of his lips, and the fact that this was finally- finally happening too much to hold in. 

His hand came up then, running ring covered fingers through the thick brunette locks, tugging him closer, sealing the gap between them even more. Clay's response was to trace Tony's lips with his tongue, asking and quickly gaining entry into the warmth of his mouth. 

Their tongues tangled for a moment, sporting for dominance before they realized the tantalizing tango of the back and forth would always be better. Neither one of them wanted complete control. They were better together, obviously both in general and in this department. The need for air, however inconvenient it was, had them pulling back. Chests heaving as both boys tried to bring their heart rates back down. 

"Wowza," Clay mumbled. 

Tony nuzzled his cheek, laughing lightly, the ghost of his breath tickling Clay's skin. "Too right, Clay. That was. It was... that was amazing," he finally managed to get out, his heart and brain and dick all marching in different directions, all pleading their case for his attention. He settled for the continued petting motion on the other's cheek, his skin sparking with rightness every time they touched. 

"These movies are long, you know. We could keep doing that in between the all the good parts," Clay said, acting like there needed to be some thought put into that decision. Tony answered without missing a beat, placing his lips against Clay's once more. "I'm feeling lucky. Now shut up and kiss me." 

\--- 

Several hours later, both boys, completely overwhelmed by the arousal and excitement of being with each other in this brand new way, found themselves outside of Clay's house. Tony felt anxious, wanting nothing more than to follow Clay up to his door, trailing kisses down whatever piece of skin he could find in the process. He wanted to march up the stairs, dragging the other along with him. He wanted skin and panted moans. He wanted Clay, the whole person, laid bare beneath him. But, he forced himself to focus, a soft smile playing on his cheeks as Clay fumbled nervously next to him, the boy caught in his own little dilemma. 

The taller boy turned to him then, cheeks pink, eyes glazed with questions and his own answers, lust and excitement. Tony couldn't believe he was the cause of it all, that he got to see Clay Jensen so undone. 

"Two questions, okay?" the boy started, staring into Tony's smooth colored eyes, melting just a bit. "First, does this make you my boyfriend? Because I want to be your boyfriend pretty badly." Clay stopped, waiting for Tony to respond. 

"Duh, dude. I've always been yours," Tony replied, the words out of his mouth before he could even think, the thought so natural, so true. 

Clay beamed, his cheeks twitching from the severity of it. "Okay, good. Good. So then, secondly, do you want to come up? My parents are asleep and I've got whatever classic movie you brought over last time still sitting in my laptop. I just... it's almost too good, right? I want to make sure tonight actually happened when I get up tomorrow." 

The confession seemed to take a lot out of the taller kid, Clay's shoulder sagging with the weight of such a strong emotion. Tony quickly leaned over, cupping his boyfriend's (holy shit, that was really real) cheek. "I'll stay. I'm feeling the same way. I want to hold you close and not let go. I don't want this to end, either, Corazon." 

They kissed then, neither initiating, both leaning to meet in the middle. It was soft and chaste, reassuring and passionate all in one go.

Tony didn't know what the rest of the night was gonna bring, but he knew he'd always want to be around to find out. When Clay climbed out, Tony followed quickly behind, excited to see where this was gonna take them. 

He really was feeling so so lucky.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clay and Tony continue deepening their connection. Singing in the Rain is abused in this chapter.

Clay woke the next morning to two things; his head against Tony's chest, the boy's heartbeat in his ear, and a sticky note stuck to the skin of his forehead. 

Moving slightly, Clay detached himself, reaching up to grab the post-it. The stickiness of it was making his forehead itchy. Only his mom would do something like this. Leave them here together, yet, not without some sort of embarrassing remark. He glanced at it, smirking at the real ness and the way he knew his mother. 

Clay- 

You two looked so cute, I didn't have the heart to wake you. Make sure Tony lets his parents know where he's at when you guys get up. Your father and I will be gone all day, its Nana and Papa's anniversary. Behave yourselves.

-Mom 

The taller boy couldn't help but let out a chuckle. This saved him a step, he supposed. Coming out never scared him, especially where his parents were concerned. Something always held him back, though, something telling him to wait until the perfect time; and the perfect time found him, taking difficulty out of the situation. His parents loved Tony. There was no doubt that his mother had been advocating for the two of them since who knows when, secretly when they were younger, now boisterously, telling him often how nice of a boy that Tony was. Boy did he know. 

Looking over at the still sleeping boy, Clay let himself remember the events of the night before. He couldn't say why he decided to take the decision out of Tony's hands. Maybe he knew the other boy still held back in fear of rejection, or maybe, he wanted to take this new piece of himself by the hand and lead it where he wanted to go, not the other way around. Control in his life was few and far between. Still being a teenager with hovering parents, there wasn't much space for control. If he was going to control anything, though, Clay wanted it to be this, the way he revealed to Tony just how deeply his feelings ran. 

His fingers skirted across the seam of his lips, thinking about those feelings pushing him to remember how they manifested. The taste of Tony still lingered on his lips. Coke and gummy bears, cherry chapstick, and something unmistakably- Tony. Since figuring out he wanted to know what Tony tasted like, Clay took guesses based on what the other consumed a lot of, or the type of gum he'd put in his mouth. Thinking about that now, he realized just how creepy that probably was, though, he didn't regret it. The first taste of him was satisfying, his curiosity peaked, the boy like a water depleted traveler, tasting his first drink of it for the first time in what felt like forever. It was satisfying, unbelievably so, yet, he couldn't help himself from wanting more. 

Intoxicating, he thought. That's what Tony was. 

He padded to the bathroom then, relieving himself and splashing cold water on his face. His eyes caught his reflection, the color of his cheeks seemingly stained the pink hue he wore all last night. It looked good on him, he thought, the vulnerability of falling in love. 

Clay left the bathroom, padding as softly as he could back to his room. Tony, however, must've heard him leave. The boy was leaned against his wall, a soft, meant for Clay's eyes only, smile on his face. 

"I thought I dreamed everything up for a second. Then I smelt you everywhere and knew I couldn't possibly be in my own bed," Tony started, reaching his hands out, gesturing for Clay to join him back on the bed. "Since you really are my boyfriend, I demand a good morning kiss, despite the Coke flavored morning breath," he said, sarcasm lacing every word. They both laughed, their eyes locking and nothing else but the sound and the fact that they were together in that moment mattering. 

Clay abided, quickly narrowing the gap between them. He took Tony's cheeks in both his hands, his thumbs tracing the dominant cheekbones. Tony closed his eyes, leaning into Clay's touch, much like a dog would when getting pet, without hesitation or fear. Clay grinned, marveling at the comfortability that was still there between them, despite this step in a whole new direction. 

He started by pressing a soft kiss to the middle of Tony's forehead, his nose taking a second to categorize his smell. Oil and engine grease were prominent, followed by a sickly sweet smell that must've been the remaining bits of gel still in Tony's hair. The concoction of it all, on top of that smell that was just, y'know, Tony, sent heat shooting down his limbs, the majority of it collecting in the pit of his stomach. He continued down his face after taking another couple deep breaths. Kisses trailed where Clay moved, the boy mapping out Tony's face little by little, learning the landmarks and intricacies. Finally, his own lips landed against pink, plump ones, claiming them in a soft, but heated kiss. 

He tried to put as much feeling into the connection of their lips. Last night was overwhelming in the best of ways. They'd been dancing around feelings for each other since the beginning of the summer, since Clay was finally honest with both himself and his best friend. He fought himself all last year, trying to force something with Hannah to prove... well, he didn't know what he wanted to prove, but he tried nonetheless. The girl was perfect, and he loved who she was, he just, wasn't in love with her, not when he knew what it felt like to know Tony, to be with him like this. 

Pulling away a couple seconds later, Clay let go of Tony's cheeks. He giggled when the other followed him, anyway, chasing until his lips were pressed against Clay's once more. He could easily get used to this. Friendship finding its way into a deeper territory without losing any of the qualities that made it amazing in the first place. Yeah, he thought, I could get used to this. 

"So," Clay started, moving to sit on the bed next to his boyfriend. "My parents are gonna be gone all day. Probably into the night, even. And, I don't have a shift at the Crestmont until tomorrow. Which means, I'm as free as bird for the entire day. We can do whatever we want." Clay finished saying this happily. His mother was giving him freedoms she never did before. Honestly trusting him to do whatever and still be safe while doing it. His anxiety was slim to none these days, the boy next to him playing a huge role in that fact. Clay was growing up and so glad he wasn't the only one noticing. 

Tony grabbed his hand, pulling him back from the thoughts about his mother. Smaller, more rougher fingers slipped between his own, interlacing them so their palms were pressed tightly together. The contact was nice, and the simplicity of being able to do it whenever they wanted, so much better. "We could always take advantage of the empty house and use the big screen downstairs. I don't know about you, but I'm not finished not-watching movies with you. I've got lots of pent up want to kiss your lips, dude," Tony replied, his eyebrows wiggling with mock suggestion. 

Clay bumped their shoulders together, the pink hue on his cheeks taking on a deeper shade. They'd spent a majority of the night before making out, even missing some of their favorite parts. His lips were raw, kiss stained, completely plump with over exertion, but he couldn't help but agree with Tony. He'd been thinking about kissing Tony for a long damn time. Now that they could whenever, especially in a house all to themselves, there wasn't any reason to be embarrassed by the thought. Tony was his. Tony wanted to be his. 

Instead of answering, he nodded, leaning to press a soft kiss to the other boy's cheek. "I concur. There's a whole stack of your classic movies we haven't even touched yet." He got up, moving to his desk to make sure they were all still there, that his mom hadn't touched them and put them in her own made up spot within his room. "Why don't you grab a shower real quick. I'll lay out some clothes you can borrow and then hop in myself." 

Tony didn't say anything. He stretched on the bed, pulling his arms over his head and in the process, his shirt, revealing a line of tanned skin. Clay felt himself flush, the feeling moving over his entire body. Then, he stood up, shorter legs carrying him over to Clay surprisingly quick. "Or, you and I can share the shower. I want to take this as slow as you want, but it's too hard to pass up a completely empty house. What do you say, Jensen?" Tony whispered, Clay not realizing how close they were together until he felt the soft ghost of breath against his skin. 

Tony pulled back then, his fingers moving up to the buttons on his shirt, slowly popping them open one by one. His face was neutral, but those chocolate brown eyes burned with a fire that licked at Clay's skin, engulfing every nerve ending with its enticement. The shorter boy walked backwards, pulling the shirt from his arms, leaving him in only a tank top. His tongue slipped between insanely pink lips, wetting them, drawing Clay in more. By the time Tony left the room completely, Clay stood rooted to the same spot, his dick as hard as a rock. 

Blinking, Clay shook the cob webs from his head, cursing the fact that it took him the couple extra seconds it did to follow the shorter boy. He quickly unbuttoned his own shirt, pulling it off and walking bare chested to the bathroom. 

The curtain was already pulled across, hot water on and steaming up the entirety of the bathroom. Clay quickly pulled the rest of his clothes off, dumping them in the pile Tony left by the tub. He felt excited and so nervous. This would be the first time anyone ever saw him naked. This would be the first time he'd ever see anyone else naked. Hell, this was the first time he'd willingly be sharing a shower with another person. Gulping on air, Clay tried to calm himself, knowing that once he saw Tony, everything would be fine. There was so much comfort between them that this, this would be just as easy. 

With a final deep breath, the taller boy pulled back the curtain and climbed inside to immediately be scooped into shorter, but immensely strong arms. They wrapped around his waist and pulled him in. Clay hissed at the combination of his first feel of skin on skin under the hot water. The nerve fibers already on edge tingled more. It took a second, but he finally got used to the feeling, the water now relaxing. 

For the first time since getting in, Clay let himself survey everything. The first thing he noticed was Tony looking at him. Those dark brown eyes were mapping out all the skin they could see, desperate to take in as much as possible just in case something like this never happened again. Clay moved his arms to wrap around Tony's neck, long fingers sliding through thick hair and gripping, tilting the other boy's face up so they were eye to eye. 

"I'm not going anywhere. You don't have to look like I might. I'm yours, remember," he reassured softly, nuzzling their noses together. He did, however, need to take his turn looking, so he stepped back. 

Tony's tattoos seemed to pulse with life as the water ran over them. The flowing texture of the liquid giving off a 3-D perception. The roses stood out the most, that having always been Clay's favorite of Tony's ink collection. The colors blended so well with the tone of the other's skin. The artist who did it made the lines of the petals sharp, yet pristine and beautiful, just like the flower itself, just like the boy who wore it. Clay forced himself to move on, excited by the fact that he could both look and touch what was in front of him. 

As his hand ran down the taut plane of Tony's stomach, Clay heard a little moan, the other appreciating his touch. There was a slight line of hair that led into the v of Tony's legs. The hair a dark color, but the quantity of it small, probably developing little by little as the boy got older. Clay, in his exploration, passed his fingers down the line, then back up, giving the length a tug. He shot his head up, eager to see the look on Tony's face. 

The heat in his eyes from earlier was back, burning hotter. Tony reached for him, pulling until they were once again flushed together. "That tickles something fierce, Jensen. You might want to stop, anyway, before you get where you might not be ready to go." There was warning in his voice, telling Clay not to tease because more than anything, Tony wanted to move at his pace. Yet, control was hard at the age of 17, and Clay knew that. 

He, however, felt more than ready for what he did next. Creating space between them again, he let his hand slide down that same line until he came in contact with Tony's hard-on. With all the petting, the other boy seemed to be straining, the skin twitching the second he wrapped his fingers around the length. Clay looked at him again, making sure it was okay. 

"Your pace, Clay. Just, don't be selfish, let me touch you, too," the other mumbled against his shoulder, teeth biting down teasingly as Clay once again pulled his hand up, then back down the length of Tony's dick. 

A shout fell from his own lips when he felt a small, more calloused palm wrap around his own erection. The hand felt much different than his own, yet better. The grip was different, the tightness of Tony's circled fingers far from what he did with himself, but so good, right in the way that Tony was always teaching him stuff about himself, even new ways to like holding his dick. 

They stroked simultaneously, both matching the pace of the other, their eyes locked on each other's hands moving over their respective cocks. Clay's entire chest felt tight, the belt of heat in his stomach getting hotter and hotter, cinching itself around his very core. Tony seemed to be equally affected. His pupils were blown, making his eyes seem black and breathy sounds fell from his lips. Every couple of strokes, his rhythm on Clay would falter, his thighs shaking. Everything about the sight made Clay's body ache, pushing him closer to the edge until finally, he couldn't help but want to fall off the edge. 

"I'm gonna- gonna cum, Tony," Clay babbled wildly, looking up to see Tony nodding, his voice useless as the feeling overtook him. 

A couple strokes later, Clay cried out, painting both their stomachs with the intensity of his release, only to be joined a second later by Tony, Clay's name spoken almost soundlessly from his lips. 

Their contributions to the work of art mingled on their stomachs. Each looking down, practically dumbfounded by what they'd just done. Clay grinned, satisfied and completely content with his first ever sexual experience. He knew Tony was his Yoda, the boy wise beyond his years. He knew Tony would help him navigate this thing between them. Yet, somehow, he felt like they were guiding each other, both new to this in completely different ways. 

Finally, Clay felt Tony pull him close, the shorter boy walking them back until their bodies were completely under the spray. The water quickly washed away the evidence of their encounter, but it was burned into them, the memory of this not ever to be forgotten.

"You don't ever stop surprising me," Tony mumbled against his cheek, Clay letting the other's hands roam across his skin while they both came down from the blissful high. Clay turned his head, catching Tony's lips in a passion filled kiss. "Good," he spoke, breaking away from their kiss. "I don't ever want to stop." 

\---

Half an hour later found both boys snuggled into the pillows of the downstairs couch, big screen projecting Singing in the Rain. This wasn't really Clay's favorite type of movie, so he spent most of the time between lip mapping watching Tony. His boyfriend lit up as Gene Kelly danced across the screen, the boy, Clay thought, probably born way after his time. Tony would've flourished in this era. All glitzy cars, smooth suits, and slicked back hair- Tony to a 't'. Clay understood his boyfriend's love for these movies and enjoyed watching Tony soak up every second. 

About halfway through the movie, Clay noticed Tony looking at him, the taller boy having gotten lost in some thoughts. "You okay, Corazon?" Tony asked softly, wrapping his arm around Clay a little tighter.

Clay nodded, a soft smile playing across his lips. "I'm super happy, Tony. I'm glad we're finally doing this. Watching you, being here, it makes me really happy." Clay's smile widened, the truth of the words really hitting him. He didn't want this feeling to stop. In another dimension, he'd be miserably sitting here after some weird encounter at the party he was now glad he missed. A piece of him knew that if he didn't cling to this, to life in the moment, that could still be him. He surged forward then, pushing the thought from his head as kiss swollen lips joined again. 

Tony pulled back, nodding his agreement to everything Clay just said. "Te amo, Jensen. Now snuggle up and be quiet, we're getting to the good part."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm super stoked so many people have commented and asked for more. They're a blast to write. I've got a couple more chapters done, so we'll see those here soon. If you've got any prompts or anything you want to see added to the coming chapters, comment and let me know. As always, thanks for the read!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The classics are interrupted by the Crestmont. Tony tags along. New friendships ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Wednesday, peoples! There's a solid dose of Hannah Baker in this one. I picked Jessica's party as a starting point to play around with her story a little, too. Hope you don't mind! Someone asked for some incorporation of other people's reactions, so I hope this hits on it a little. There's more to come on that front, too. As always, thanks for the read!

Not long into their third movie of the day, Clay's phone started to buzz loudly on the coffee table. Tony startled from his half asleep position, sitting up and bringing Clay with him. "Clay, your phone," he mumbled, knowing his boyfriend was passed out cold just mere moments before the interruption. Tony watched Clay blink awake, long fingers wrapping around his phone when he leaned forward to grab it. His face paled, the taller boy shaking his head. "It's work, I've gotta get it. I'll be right back." He stood up and left Tony with a soft kiss to the forehead. 

Relaxing back, Tony listened to the conversation. From the sounds of it, their relaxing day might be coming to an end. It didn't really matter, though. They'd be cocooned together for hours since waking up, the two kissing on and off, sleeping whenever they felt the need. He'd count down the minutes until they'd see each other again, not upset at all, because out of anyone, Tony knew what it meant to be controlled by a job. 

Clay came in looking sheepish, his phone still in hand. "The guy who's working tonight has food poisoning, or something. I've gotta go in and finish his shift," Clay started, pointing at his phone like it were its fault. "Okay, I can just-" Tony began to reply, but was cut off by Clay holding up a hand. "Will you come with me? It's all classic shit, so it's right up your alley. I just- I'm not really ready for you to leave yet, and I'm trying not to be bummed about work, but I am, so you coming would just make it all better." Clay's face was red by the time he finished. Probably from a mix of embarrassment, nerves, and anger at whatever kid decided to ruin their time together. 

Stepping forward, Tony used one hand to cup Clay's cheek while the other wrapped around his middle, pulling them flush together. The hand on Clay's cheek moved over his lips where one finger extended, Tony's lips making the 'shh' sound as he did. "I'll go. I love the Crestmont. Just let me shoot my dad a text and I'll be all set." 

There was an obvious relaxation in the other boy at Tony's words. His shoulders slumped, the red color draining bit by bit as the calm wrapped around him, draping like a blanket. "Okay. Okay, good. I've gotta... y'know," he pointed to the stairs, gesturing with his head. "Get ready." He didn't wait for a reply then, the red color back in his cheeks, just barely visible with his back to Tony as he strode to the stairs. 

Tony smiled at the sound of stomping going up the stairs. For such a light kid, he sure made a lot of noise. Shaking the gooey feeling just for a second, the shorter boy pulled out his own phone from the borrowed basketball shorts, quickly sending off a text to his dad with an update on his whereabouts. Looking down at himself, Tony decided he didn't want to change. There was no way to know the shorts Tony had on were Clay's, or the hoodie that fit him poorly in the shoulders and chest and too big in the length was anyone's other than his own. Or so he thought, anyway. 

A few minutes later, Clay came stomping back down the stairs, his Crestmont uniform firmly in place. Tony couldn't help but grin again, the outfit of maroon vest and black bow tie looking goofy, yet so cute and so right on the boy in front of him. "That outfit should be illegal. A clip on bow tie? At least they could make you wear a real one," Tony said, voice thick with amusement, sarcasm dripping off each word. He stepped forward, his calloused fingers reaching up to tug on either end of the bow tie. "You, however, rock it. You ready, bow tie? I was promised classic movies, and you know how I feel about my black and whites." 

Clay rolled his eyes and laughed, a hand coming up to cover Tony's on the tie around his neck. "I'm not gonna hear the end of this bow tie thing, am I?" Clay questioned, baby blues saying he already knew the answer when their eyes came together. Tony shook his head, leaning forward to press a soft kiss upon Clay's lips. "Never."

\---

After making several stops against the walls in Clay's house to kiss and grope, the two made it out to the Mustang. The drive was quick, the two talking back and forth about school news and pointless shit. By the time they looked up, Tony was pulling against the curb, looking at Clay. "I'll leave you here, Corazon. I'm gonna go park, then I'll meet you in there." Tony's lips quirked in a half smile as he spoke. Clay nodded, turning on the seat to look at him. "I uh- thanks. For coming, I mean. I'm glad we're not done for the day, yet." He turned then, putting his fingers on the handle and pulling. The door opened and Clay stepped out. 

"You're welcome, Clay," he mumbled to no one. He straightened then, putting the car back into drive and swinging into the parking lot a few feet in front of the building. Stepping out, he immediately noticed Hannah Baker's car, the jeep unmistakable after fixing it the last year. Good, he thought, at least it's someone I can stand. 

Taking a couple deep breaths to collect himself, Tony headed into the theater. He didn't really know why he felt nervous, but a part of him knew. This was their first time interacting together around other people since the change in their relationship happened. They didn't talk about how they were going to handle the new thing between them, and Tony wasn't sure how Clay would react. His heart pounded for a second before thinking about their comfortability and ease. Everything was good, he told himself, everything would be good. 

The coldness of the lobby hit him first. The hair on the bare part of his legs stood up for a moment until he got accustomed to the temperature. The empty look to the place got to him next. During the summer, the couple times he hung out here, the place seemed packed; kids with no where to go crawled in and watched movie after movie, and older people trying to relive their glory days haunted the later showings. Yet, today, there didn't seem to be anyone in the theater. The smell of burnt popcorn the only distinguishing feature telling him the place was even alive. 

Clay's voice brought him back from his thoughts, the taller boy pointing to the soda jerk behind the counter. "What? Sorry, I was getting used to the greasy, burnt smell again," he replied softly, embarrassed to be caught in la la land. 

"Want something to drink? I happen to know someone with a pretty sick discount." Clay's eyebrows waggled when he finished. How in the world could he ever say no to that? Tony nodded quickly, "you know my order, Jensen." 

A couple minutes later, a tall Coke with a long blue straw sat in front of him, Clay's eyes beaming with pride at the finished product. Oh, how Tony just wanted to melt into that look. He'd be perfectly content looking at it for the rest of the day if he could get away with it. He was once again snapped from his thoughts, however, when another voice joined them. 

"Tony Padilla. The mixtape guru himself," Hannah said, drawing Tony's attention to where she now sat, her hip against the counter. "Are you here for the 6 o'clock showing, or just the view?" Her lips pulled into a smirk, but her eyes stayed soft, telling him all he needed to know. 

Tony let himself blush for a second before looking up at Clay, their eyes meeting in an exchange that also spoke volumes. Tell her, it said. Tell her and start the process. 

"Hannah Baker," he began, his voice light, the affection he felt for the girl heard within it. "I like that title, thank you very much." He waited a beat, looking to Clay once more. "Both, I'd say. I'm just a sucker for blue eyes and the oldies," Tony joked, trying to put as much humor in his voice as he could. The girl was perceptive. He'd always known that about her. They wouldn't have to make a big deal out of it to her for Hannah to know just what was going on. 

Like he thought, she simply nodded. "Blue eyes and the oldies is a dangerous combo, Padilla. Why do you think I work here?" She smiled at him then, moving behind the counter towards the popcorn machine.

Clay and Tony exchanged another look, a smile slipping onto both their faces. One down, he thought, the rest of the student body population to go. 

\--- 

Later, the three of them were pretty much in the same spot they'd been in since the boys arrived. There was now a big thing of popcorn between them, with Tony's purchased Sour Patch Kids somewhere within the madness of the popped kernels. 

"So tell us," Clay spoke, his body angled towards Tony, despite speaking to Hannah. "How was Jessica's party? This guy had other plans, so we missed it. I was told it was going to be the party of the year." Tony shook his head and rolled his eyes, Clay's blues flashing to catch his own as he said that. 

"I didn't go, actually. My tolerance for parties of the year is pretty low these days. I caught up with that homework I told you about. Had a nice, simple, relaxing evening." Her voice sounded the least somber it had in what felt like forever. Tony didn't know much about Hannah. From his encounters, she was genuinely sweet with a knack for getting herself into sticky situations. At one time, he felt bad for her, but now knew how tough she was, dealing with all the bull shit their school put on her back. 

"Sounds like the best way to spend a Saturday," Tony said to her, giving her a soft look. "Clay is all bent out of shape because we missed this one, but check it out. Clint Eastwood, gunman, chaps, freaking outlaws... I don't know how teen angst and vomit could ever stand up against that shit." Tony beamed, loving the roll of Clay's eyes and the smile he tried to hide that accompanied them.

He saw Hannah look between the two of them, her short hair bobbing with the motion of her head. "You two could easily sicken me. Try and not be so cute, okay?" Hannah smiled softly at Tony specifically. 

The moment was broken when they saw people approach the front. Sweeping the stuff under the counter, Clay groaned a little, heading around it to get to the front of the theater. "You two play nice while dad is busy," he said over his shoulder, smirking at the looks on their faces.

"So," Hannah said, turning to him as soon as Clay walked away. "Helmet, huh? I always knew it was there on your end, but I could never really tell with him. I'm happy for you, jealous, but happy." The look on her face told him the truth in that statement. Her cheeks were slightly pink with the jealous admittance, but Tony didn't mind. He still felt shaky and nervous himself. The fact that Clay picked him to do this with, to have as his first relationship, well, it still dumbfounded him. Clay had more admirers out there then the boy knew. His obliviousness both endearing and detrimental in some ways. Tony wouldn't believe it completely, his luck in all of those, for a while, just in case. 

"Yup. I'd be jealous, too. Have been jealous of you, actually. I thought for sure that short hair of yours was gonna draw him in. I love it, by the way. It really suits you," Tony said to her, reaching across the distance between them to tug on a short curl. "The New Hannah Baker. Keep it up, carino, make everyone see the new you." 

He couldn't quite decide why he said that. Something inside told him she needed that reassurance. To struggle so much and get nothing but shit in return would break anyone down. Tony wanted to make sure that her break down didn't happen. Not when being a friend to her was one of the easiest things he could do. Her personality was truly lovely, her spirit funny and real. Tony, in that moment, told himself he'd make more effort to talk with her, to invite her out for a drive in the Mustang with him and Clay. Though, now boyfriend's, the guy's friendship wouldn't change a single bit. Adding Hannah to the mix wouldn't change a damn thing. Honestly, he figured it would only make their time better. 

"Thanks, Tony," she mumbled, her voice soft, the rundown nature of the passed year back in it, just for a moment. "I didn't know how much I needed to hear that until just now." She stopped then, turning away, making herself look busy. Tony looked over his shoulder to see the customer Clay was helping walking over towards the counter. He turned back around, noticing for a brief second how Hannah reached up, like she was brushing something from her face. Tony's heart ached a little, for the hurt she felt, for the way he hadn't treated her. That all changed now, though. She'd see. They'd help her see. 

Clay came up to him then, his body slack from standing in one spot for who knew how long. "You okay?" Tony heard Clay ask. He'd been lost in his thoughts about Hannah, not noticing anything around him. "Tony," Clay piped up again, the look on his face worried, the softness of his eyes so damn sweet. 

"Shh, Corazon, I'm fine. Just lost in some thoughts. I like it here. You should invite me to come to work with you more often." Tony grinned then, his smile slipping across the planes of his face, the boy now fully with it, his thoughts locked away for another time. 

\--- 

A couple hours later had them locking everything up, Clay and Hannah working behind the counter to get stuff clean while Tony pretended to sweep, the boy using the handle of the broom as an air guitar more than the way it was intended. Their night stayed much the same throughout, the three of them shooting the shit, Clay and Hannah juggling the customers between their popcorn catching contests and quote matching game. All and all, the perfect end to a really damn good day. 

As they were leaving, Hannah pulled him into a quick hug, whispering another thanks against his neck. She pulled away, pointing between the two of them as she walked backwards towards the parking lot. "You two take care of each other. You've got a good one, Helmet." And with that, she turned the right way around, strode into the parking lot and got in her car. 

Clay and Tony stood standing, both dumbfounded, but happy. They hadn't seen Hannah Baker look like that since she first arrived- invigorated, full of little bits of life. Tony shook his head affectionately, glad he came to hangout. Maybe he wouldn't be the girl's best friend or anything, but he didn't mind adding another friend to his heart. Someone he could easily watch out for, someone that he could care for. 

"What was that about?" Clay asked as the two headed towards the parking lot. Grabbing Clay's hand, Tony laced their fingers together before answering. Their arms swung lightly back and forth with each step they took, Tony taking his time formulating an answer, one that would make sense to the oblivious guy at the root of it all. 

"I don't know. I think I just made a new friend." 

They didn't say anymore about it. 

Tony led Clay to the passenger side door, dropping his hand to open it for him. "Mr. Jensen," he said, sweeping his hand in a flourishing pattern, like a driver would to someone important. "Mr. Padilla, always the gentleman," Clay retorted, bowing ever so slightly before climbing into the seat. Tony leaned down and pecked Clay's lips chastely, then shut the door, heading around the car to his own side. Once buckled in, Tony pulled away from the theater. At the stoplight just outside of the building, Tony turned back in the seat. He needed to remember today. The day he and Clay took a new step. The day he made a more solid bond with someone he knew needed it. One of the best day's Tony got to live in a while. 

\---

Pulling up outside the Jensen household, Tony put the car in park. His hands left the wheel, calloused fingers gripping Clay's vest as he reached across. He used momentum to pull Clay towards him. In the next moment, their lips met in a heated kiss. Tony couldn't say what came over him. Maybe the need to thank the kid across from him for giving him a taste of real happiness, or maybe it'd just been too long since they did this. The thought left him when Clay's tongue peaked out, teasing ever so often again Tony's lips. It stayed that way for a few moments, all tongue and lip, open mouths and panting. Then, little by little, they started to pull back, kisses gentling until they were nothing but ghosting touches. Tony relaxed his hands, the material of the vest falling, slightly wrinkled from the firmness of his grip. 

"Thanks for today." Tony whispered, nuzzling his nose against the velvet of Clay's lips. The taller boy's tongue shot out, the move tickling the spot. "You're very welcome," Clay mumbled back, pressing in once more for a soft kiss. 

His boyfriend pulled fully away then, his face relaxed, eyes radiant. Reaching, he tapped Tony on the shoulder, the gesture familiar, something so Clay Jensen. 

"I'll see you tomorrow?" the boy asked, hopeful smile touching his lips. 

"You bet. Sleep tight, Jensen." 

Clay winked, blowing him a kiss. "See ya." 

Shaking his head, a soft smile on his face, Tony pulled away from the curb, heading home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A single word sparks something crazy. All Clay can do is stand back and watch. A little bit of violence, but it's menial, so just a heads up.

For the first Monday... probably ever, Clay didn't wake up dreading the day. School sucked. There wasn't any getting around that pleasant factoid. However, the people he got to see while at school, well, they were a different story. Blinking his eyes shut, Clay ran over the events of the previous day. He couldn't functionally think about his first ever shared shower. The time he needed to ponder that particular memory was not in the cards at the moment. 

His heart ached in the best kind of way when he thought further, the interaction between he, Tony, and Hannah something he'd always wanted in life. Clay never envied any of the popular kids with tons of friends. No, what he envied was the memories they were making. Being shy, Clay didn't have too many people who would binge on Sour Patch and popcorn while talking all things pop culture. He missed out on creating some of the integral high school memories, yet, yesterday felt like he'd finally found a place to belong. Clay couldn't believe how well Tony and Hannah got on. Obliviousness was his call to arms, but even he knew that Hannah needed genuine people to be around. People who wouldn't turn and gossip the second she moved out of hearing range. Tony being his friend for most of his life, Clay knew what good stuff the girl was in for. Once Tony took someone under his wing, they wouldn't ever go without protection; both physical and emotional protection. 

Last night felt like one of the first times in his life where Clay knew who he was. Being comfortable in his own skin never happened for him before. Growing up, confidence did not seep from his pores. Shyness overcame him more often times than not, scaring him not only away from other people, but himself, too. For so long, he lived like a stranger to himself. Over the last year, Clay started to notice more pieces of his personality start to bloom. Hanging out with Tony, learning about freedom, it all showed him there was more than just the shy part of himself. He'd learned so much about himself just by being a little more willing to experience life around him. 

Sucking in a deep breath, Clay let himself relax a second more before sitting up. He brought his hand up to his face, the side of his index finger rubbing against the crease of his eye to get rid of the sleep still stuck there. His mouth opened in a yawn before he finally swung his feet over the edge of the bed. Long arms reached for the phone sitting on the bed side table. He barely remembered to plug it in before falling asleep. After dropping him off, Tony texted him well into the night, the two talking about whatever came to their minds. 

Clicking on the message icon, Clay smiled widely, taking in their last exchange. 

Tony: Do you ever think about Bowie? Like, how much money do you think the dude spent on make up alone? 

Clay: First, one must address him as Ziggy, especially if we're talking about the stellar make up. Secondly, probably a disgusting amount. Honestly, rich people are kinda sick. 

Tony: Too right, carino. But on the flip side, it made the dude so much better. He's a fucking icon! 

Clay: Trendsetter.

Tony: Same difference, Jensen.   
Tony: Holy. It's 3 am.   
Tony: Stop being cute so I can sleep. 

Clay: There is no stop, Tony. The Jensen men get cuter with age. It's a proven fact. 

Tony: I may never sleep again! 

Clay: Go to sleep, dude.   
Clay: I know how early you get up to do your hair. 

Tony: ....  
Tony: I hate you.   
Tony: Night, Jensen. 

Clay: Sleep tight.

Thumbing through them, Clay shook his head, his chest light from the simplicity of their friendship. It was merely enjoying the other person's existence. Thinking about it a little more, loving Tony made so much sense. They'd always enjoyed each other and there was no denying Tony was a handsome fella. There was an inevitability that Clay couldn't deny now that his heart was open to the idea. The feeling felt like it hadn't just appeared, but was there the entire time, just waiting to show itself. Inevitable. Just right in all the best ways.

His mother's voice coming up the stairs had him moving to the closet, the door opening as he started to rummage through the clothes there. His favorite hoodie hung over a hanger on the back of the door, and his jeans were somewhere on the floor, so the gesture was unneeded, but then again, so was any sort of talk from his mom. 

"Clay, you're running behind, honey. Breakfast is in ten," Mrs. Jensen told him, disapproval in her eyes at his not so dressed state. "You better hurry." 

Rolling his eyes, Clay nodded, an antsy hand coming up to run through messy hair. "Got it. I'll be right down." 

She gave him another sheepish look before nodding. Her heels clicking against the wood of the floor, her departure leaving him wondering how much longer there was until college and some freedom. 

Grabbing his phone from its perch, Clay sent off a text before grabbing his clothes, heading to the bathroom to try and not relive yesterday's shenanigans. 

\--- 

Ten minutes later, Clay descended the stairs, moving into the kitchen quickly. 

"Sorry, no breakfast for me. Tony's here. We've got a project to work on, so we have to go in early," Clay mumbled, his words slurred together slightly. He didn't particularly like lying to his parents, but the thought of a morning meal interrogation made his stomach turn. 

A honk from outside completed the story, Clay shrugging his shoulders and moving towards the door. He didn't want to give his parents any time to combat him walking out into the freedom of the morning. Fumbling for a second with the knob, Clay managed to get the door open after another try. A breath of relief left his chest when he stepped outside, a door between himself and the early morning inquisition. It didn't hurt either, the fact that he got to spend a little bit of extra time with Tony. 

Long legs carried him down the stairs quickly, Clay on the sidewalk next to the Mustang within a few seconds. He leaned down, crossing his arms over the open window crease. "Tony Padilla. I hope you brought some coffee. Dodging them like that is exhausting," he said, grinning at the soft smile Tony shot his way. 

"She just cares. Not that I'm complaining. I'm happy to see you more before we get back to school. Come on, you can't drink the coffee from out there," Tony spoke gently, his hand patting the leather of Clay's seat. The taller boy didn't need any further prodding. Pale fingers pulled the lock up, gripped the door handle, and pulled the wide door open, sliding into the seat smoothly. He looked down, taking in the two containers sitting in the cup holders. 

"Is this your famous stuff?" Clay asked excitedly, having tasted the glorious concoction one morning after an all night video game session earlier the passed summer.

"You bet. Columbian dark roast, a couple dribbles or cream, brown sugar, white sugar, and the best part- cinnamon. Made special for one Clay Jensen," Tony finished, winking as he put the car into drive, pulling away from the curb. 

Clay picked up his cup, blowing on the top. The steam could be felt against the skin of his chin, the glands in his mouth watering at the feeling. Little bits of cinnamon aroma played in the sinuses of his nose, the scent like Christmas; spicy, yet so sweet. Impatience over took rationality. His lips pressed against the rim allowing him to take a sip, the coffee close to scalding. Closing his eyes, Clay let himself savor the hot liquid. He held it in his mouth for a second before swallowing it, his eyes opening when the warmth spread through his chest. 

"I never knew drinking a beverage could be so sensual. Jesus," Tony muttered, switching hands on the steering wheel so he could reach down and readjust himself. Clay blinked, stuck between being amused by the reason for Tony's arousal, and turned on himself by the fact that he was. 

"It's good shit," Clay decided to say with a shrug, his shoulders squaring to face towards the front of the car. Though, he knew Tony noticed the slightest of smirks taking over his cheeks. 

They drove to school the long way, Tony alternating between asking random questions and singing to whatever tape was in the player.

Clay was looking out the window until a weird sort of silence took over the car. He glanced over at Tony, confused. Big mood changes weren't really their thing, so the silence was noticed right away. 

"What did I miss?" Clay asked softly, his hand reaching over to grab Tony's.

"It's nothing. Not really." Tony started, the hand in Clay's clenching and unclenching what seemed like involuntarily. "I'm just wondering, how do we handle this? Are you ready to... y'know, come out? Telling Hannah is one thing, the whole school is another." 

Clay hadn't thought much about that. He felt too caught up in the feelings to really think of anything else. His shoulders shrugged, lips quirking. 

"I guess we act like we always do. I'm not going to deny anything. It's just you and me, dude. We just have to do what feels right." Clay shrugged again. He didn't feel panicked or weighed down by this. He'd never been anyone's topic of conversation and the gay rumors weren't anything he ever struggled with. It didn't matter to him, what people thought. That wouldn't start with this. Tony and the cool thing they had going deserved a little more than that. 

Tony squeezed his hand, turning his palm so he could interlace their fingers. "I dig the hell out of you, Jensen. This feels right. Everything about it." There was a finality in his tone, like Tony was now fully realizing things weren't going to change because they were heading back to reality. 

Looking up, Clay noticed they were approaching school. His eyes took in the clock and that dreaded Monday feeling finally hit him. "It'll be great when school isn't a thing. I'm tired of trying not to fall asleep all day," Clay said, shaking his head at the absurdity of it all. 

"You're telling me. We can always skip. You say the word and I'll grab the car," Tony replied, winking, his eyes sparkling. The urge to take him up on that offer pressed against his chest, pleading him to just say yes. He wanted to so much, but he'd have to learn to fight the urge some time or another. "I'll think about it." 

Tony put the car in park, then leaned across the console to press a quick kiss to Clay's lips. "I hope you do." he mumbled as he pulled away. Clay's hands shot up, grabbing him before he could, bringing their lips together again. He placed a few chaste kisses on Tony's lips, the plumpness of them such a tease. When Clay pulled back, he could see the way Tony's eyes darkened. 

"You're gonna kill me, Jensen. One of these days." Tony said this softly, shaking his head. He pulled away completely then, leaning over the back of the seat to grab his bag before opening the door and climbing out. Clay followed quickly, a big grin filling his cheeks. 

"What a way to go, though," Clay piped in, catching up to Tony in a few quick strides. "I think I like it. The effect I have on you," Clay started to say, his hands pushing the door open for Tony, one of his hands finding his lower back as he passed. 

When it happened, it almost didn't occur to him that Montgomery was talking about him... them. 'Fag' rang in his ears for a second, bouncing off the walls of his mind. Hmm, so that's what that felt like. Before he could even formulate a thought, however, Tony was in the guy's face. 

"What the fuck did you just say?" Clay heard, anger laced throughout Tony's voice, the feeling of it palpable. Tan hands clenched by his sides, Clay noticing the way his fingers seemed to twitch; almost as if he were itching to pull back and swing, just looking for a reason.

"Fag. You and Jensen. I know you heard me, Padilla." Montgomery said, getting into Tony's space. 

"Don't speak to him that way. Say what you want about me, but not him. Fuck that." Tony's words were a jumble, his smaller body radiating with pure rage.

The next couple of seconds were a blur. Tony swung back his arm, punching the taller guy square in the face. Clay couldn't decide if the crack heard was Tony's knuckles, or Monty's face breaking into pieces. Tony backed him up, hitting his middle a couple of times. As they bounced back, hitting the lockers, Tony got in his face. "Apologize," he got out, the sound of the words rough, hard on the ears. Clay shuddered, both from arousal and pure fright. This was a side of Tony he'd only seen once before. 

Before Clay could even move, Tony and Monty were being pulled apart by a pair of teachers, both boys following them down the hall. Dark brown caught blue, the slightest look of remorse in them. Damn, he thought, no one else but Tony.

Clay didn't know what the fuck just happened, but felt his heart start to race at the thought of Tony being in trouble... because of him. 

Shaking his head, he tugged on his backpack strap, ducking his head, walking to his locker quickly. The attention he hadn't wanted now spotlighting on his back. 

The sound of Hannah's voice was the only thing he let himself recognize once he got the door open. A distant 'Hey Helmet' calming his nerves just slightly. He turned to face her, shooting her the slightest smile. "I never said, but I like the hair. Makes your curls stand out," he blurted, hoping to skip the questions about Tony. Her guess was as good as his. Clay saw Tony fight with his brothers all the time, but never like this, with so much reckless abandon. That must've been what protection looked like, even if it wasn't needed. She surprised him however, a rose colored tint on her cheeks as she reached up and tugged some hair. 

"Thanks. I'm starting to really like it, too. You should see if that boyfriend of yours wants to work with us," she stated, coming to lean against the locker next to his. "They're hiring and something says they wouldn't mind an extra person on that late shift. To, you know, keep us dumb kids accountable," she finished, her air quotes making their bosses words seem stupider than they already were. 

"You know, that's a pretty good idea. I'll have to talk to him. Whenever... uh- whenever I get to do that." He shook his head, closing his locker quickly. "Can I admit something?" he asked quietly, lowering his voice. "Was it me, or was that kind of really hot?" Clay whispered the question, slightly embarrassed to be asking it. Hannah leaned in, her hand cupping his ear as she spoke, "very sexy." 

Her face was alight with a grin when she pulled back. The girl took a step back, looking down the hall. "Anyway, I must be off. Talk to Tony! I'll see you in communications," she said with a small finger wave. She turned quickly, heading down the hall with her head down. 

Clay did the same, heading through the day in that very position. When French rolled around, Tony wasn't there. Clay figured that would be the case, though he couldn't help feeling disappointed. He couldn't think of the last time he even got in trouble, so his knowledge on what might have happened was lacking, making him feel more useless than he already did. 

Finally, the day was over. As he was grabbing books to take home, Clay felt his phone vibrate. 

Tony: Come to the edge of campus. I'll pick you up there. 

Clay: Okay. Hope you're okay. 

Tony: Always. 

\--- 

A few minutes later, Clay made his way to the edge of the school, a weight of panic lifting when he saw the Mustang parked there. 

He forced his feet to move quickly, his entire being eager to hear about what happened, both during the fight and after. 

There was no cute flirting before getting in the car this time. Clay pulled the door open, careful not to let it fling wide and bounce the hinges. Sitting in the seat, Clay gave himself a second to settle before turning to look at Tony with wide, curious eyes. 

"What the hell happened, Tony? One second you were next to me, the next you've got Monty pinned to the locker..." he trailed off then, sucking in a big deep breath of air. "I've never seen you like that before." 

Tony took a couple minutes to reply. The silence sat heavy between them. Every so often, Clay watched Tony open his hand, wiggle his fingers, then clench it tight again. A thick band of purple colored the knuckles on both hands, a couple of them split open and red. The boy's breathing was periodically uneven, Tony obviously trying to calm himself down once again. 

"I saw red, man. I'm sorry," Tony started, his voice low, eyes downcast. "I've always hated that word. It makes it sound like we're wrong. Like the cool thing happening between us is dirty. I've taken it. I've heard that said about me. I just... you don't deserve that. Not because of me. I lost it, Clay." 

Tony stopped then, his shoulders dropping lower then they already were. Having not experienced half the shit Tony did throughout his life, Clay had no frame of reference for these feelings. He'd never been called a fag, at least, not to his face. The stigma didn't well something so intense inside of him like it did Tony. He could see it, though, the way something like that could make a person feel. The surprise of the moment took the sting of it away, his focus on Tony instead of the slur spit so easily at them. That wasn't the same for Tony. 

In that moment, Clay could feel the depth of everything Tony felt for him. The boy was willing to take a beating to protect him. Hell, willing to out himself even more to keep Clay covered. His heart pounded, both with sadness and comfort. They were going to meet so many struggles together. If Clay had his way, for as long as possible. A confidence that they would forever have each other's backs grew, changing the core of him. Things were different now, he thought. Tony and me against the world. 

Clay let the silence remain for another couple of minutes before he carefully reached over, cupping Tony's chin in his hand, pulling slightly so the boy had to tilt his face up. Worried eyes looked at Tony then, his boyfriend somber, eyes wet from stubbornly unshed tears. "It's okay." 

Clay swiped his thumb under Tony's right eye, the slightest bit or moisture clinging to the pad of it. "It's okay, Tony," he repeated, shaking the hand on his face, forcing the other to look him in the eye. "It's okay."

The damn seemed to break after that. Tony moved fast, Clay suddenly finding himself with an armful of Tony Padilla. Strong arms clung to him, gel-hardened hair pressed against his cheek as Tony tried to fit himself against Clay as much as possible. Clay held him tightly, one of his hands moving in relaxing circles on the boy's back until he pulled away. 

The same Tony mask was back in place then, the only evidence of his small breakdown the vulnerability in those eyes. He rearranged himself in his seat, bruised fingers moving to grip the steering wheel. 

"I only got suspended for the day. I said the word hate crime and they all got a little scared to punish me more. Tomorrow, don't leave my side, okay? Just in case." Tony's voice had a sharpness to it as the words left his mouth. The boy was serious and wouldn't feel comfortable unless Clay did what he asked; for Tony's sake and his own, he figured.

"Alright, Tony. Alright." Clay replied, one of his hands rubbing at the tenseness of his boyfriend's shoulder. 

"Let's go back to my place, yeah? There's leftover pizza calling our name." 

Tony nodded, fingers gripping the steering wheel even tighter than they already were. He put the car in drive, pulling it away from the side of the road. 

\--- 

Mrs. Jensen, after receiving a call about a fight that might've been about her boy, walked up the stairs, eager to hear any sort of explanation her son could give her. Instead, she found Tony wrapped almost possessively around Clay, the boy's head nestled into the crease at the back of her son's neck. They were sound asleep, both snoring lightly in time with the other. 

The bruises on Tony's knuckles told her that maybe something did happen, but until Clay came to her to talk, she'd have to let it slide. Looking at the boys once more, she knew when reassurance needed to be given. With a soft smile, she backpedaled out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bum bum bum! Just kidding. I got asked for some protective Tony and couldn't resist. Next chapter we'll see some more Hannah Baker. Leave any prompts or ideas you might have below. I've been digging all the little bunnies added to the last couple chapters. As always, thanks for the read!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Monty incident isn't sitting well with Tony. Hannah Baker makes another timely appearance.

Tony woke suddenly, his chest feeling tight as the remnants of the dream that felt so damn real washed over him. 

In it, Tony wasn't there when Monty decided to use the filthy word he did. Instead, the jock descended upon Clay, and instead of his fists slamming into Monty's body, it was Clay. Monty threw punch after punch, slamming his knuckles into Clay's cheek, jaw, stomach... any place on the boy they could reach. Tony, for whatever reason, couldn't move a muscle. His back felt suctioned to the back of the locker he was leaning against. Try as he did, his feet wouldn't move from their spot on the floor. He called out, voice hoarse by the time Monty finally pulled back. The face laying on the ground looked like a morphed version of Clay, swelling overtaking all the defining features of the handsome boy's face. Then, after all that, his feet finally moved. Falling to his knees, Tony grabbed the boy in his arms, shaking, shaking, shaking him... and then his eyes slammed open. 

A part of him wanted to know what happened to dream Clay. Maybe, if he would've seen his eyes open, maybe if Clay would've said his name... he wouldn't feel as rattled as he did. 

The thought of a beaten in face made his stomach roll. Getting up, Tony hurried to the bathroom, barely making it before losing what little he ate at dinner earlier that evening. His mouth tasted like acid, like it had since hearing Monty direct that word towards Clay. It was foul, hiding in spots of his mouth that never really let it go away. A shuddering breath was pulled through his nostrils, Tony sitting back until he could lean against the toilet. 

Could being with him bring about the vivid images in his dream? Or, was he just being sensitive to the situation? No matter the reason, Tony felt on edge, sad in a way that he didn't like. Clay Jensen shouldn't ever come with any negative thoughts or feelings.

Taking a couple more deep breaths, Tony finally felt able to get up without losing anymore stomach acid. His legs felt like jelly, sweat stains were starting to creep across his brow- every part of his body ached. The combination of lack of sleep and anxiety the last couple of days made exhaustion be the dominating feeling for him. He just wanted to sleep. He just wanted to hold Clay close and protect him from all the scary and wrong shit the world has to offer. 

Getting back to his room, Tony climbed on his bed. He reached for his phone, thinking about texting Clay when another message popped up instead. His eyes bulged for a second before a soft smile played across his face. For some reason, he didn't feel weird that Hannah Baker was texting him at 3 in the morning. 

Hannah: I apologize for the late, or early, depending on how you see it, nature of this text.  
Hannah: Would you, by chance, be awake and up for a talk? 

His smile grew. Her perception of all the situations going on around her made Hannah interesting to be around. Things anyone else would've passed by without seeing, Hannah got. He figured being an outsider, being different gave you a different set of goggles to see the world through. His own differences in life gave him the same perception. Tony saw and heard things most people didn't want heard or seen. 

Clicking the box, Tony typed out a response. 

Tony: I would very much be up for a talk.  
Tony: Come by the garage? I'll open it up and meet you there in ten or so.  
Tony: And I guess I'm awake, since I'm texting you back! 

He shook his head, looking at the text another time before getting up. Pulling on some sweats and a hoodie, Tony grabbed his keys from the desk. Being an employee, his dad never cared much about his use of the shop. Most of the time he spent there wasn't social, but they could chat without being heard or waking up his family. 

\--- 

A few minutes later, Tony heard tapping against the garage door. He pulled it up, giving Hannah enough space to crawl under before shutting it again. The lock turned in place with a satisfying click. 

Turning around, Tony faced the girl, grinning at her pajamas. "Dude, those are the coolest," he muttered, pointing at Hannah's dancing banana pants. 

Her face colored with a soft blush, the redness in her cheeks something that Tony could admit that he liked. The girl expressed things so easily through her face. More times than not, there was a blank look, or a look of sadness overtaking her cheeks. Tony liked seeing her embarrassed. At least the emotion wasn't a negative one. 

"I don't know if you remember Bananas in Pajamas, but I've been pretty obsessed with live action bananas ever since," Hannah replied, pulling the edge of her pants out like a dress, the girl bowing jokingly. 

Tony pulled up a couple stools, sitting in one, patting the other. "So, Ms. Baker. What brings you to Casa de Padilla at such a late hour?" He grinned when he asked this, playing off her joke from earlier. It felt good to smile after that terrible dream. The same dream he'd been having since the confrontation a few days before. 

She paled a little at the question, her shoulders moving towards her ears in a shrug before she sighed, moving to take a seat on the stool next to him. 

"I always thought you were untouchable." Her voice is quiet, like she isn't too sure about the words coming out of her mouth. "Tony Padilla has it all together. That's something I say to myself all the time. I saw it, though. Your moment of weakness. So, maybe I'm here to see how you make it the rest of the time. Like- the weakness is always there, just not on display, you know?" Hannah practically whispered the last words. She looked genuinely interested, like his words would help her, too. 

Tony's eyes widened for a second. He never thought much about it. The anger in his core was always there, sitting just below the surface. Keeping his cool was all about not letting anyone effect him. Half the school saw what not keeping his cool looked like. His chest heaved with a breath, Tony knowing that this... her talking to him like this, it was big.

"I grew up with three brothers. You learn pretty quick both how to defend yourself and when to pick your battles. Did you ever see The Avengers?" he asked, looking her way. 

"Who hasn't? I am a teen in this century," she replied, sarcasm and sass made her voice sound rich, so different than usual. 

"The Hulk says he keeps his shit together because he's always angry. I kind of feel like that. I stay below the radar because people don't like a piece of me. I watch and listen and keep my guard up at all times. I've learned over the passed however long to react only when I can't not." Tony paused for a second, hoping the explanation didn't suck, or make her feel worse than she probably already did. 

"Look. I know that you and I are not battling the same demons. The stuff that people say, it hurts, and I know that. I just... I guess I've found people in my life that let me keep my mask on when I need to. I know that at the end of the day, I can take it off, I can be mad and sad and distraught... and they're gonna be there for me, anyway. High school kids suck and for the most part... aren't worth the bruises you get." He wiggled his finger, trying to prove his point. "Wear them proudly, Hannah. Tell people you aren't ashamed of who you are. Because the people that have taken the time to know you, the real you, they'll be there for you... they'll know how the bruises hurt and try whatever they can to help heal them." 

There's a silence then, Tony realizing that maybe he needed to follow his own advice. It was time to tell Clay about the dreams he kept having. Shaking his head of the thought, Tony looked Hannah's way. Her eyes were full of tears, though, none fell. Silence crept between them, Tony letting Hannah have her time. 

Finally, he spoke up again. "Stick with me, Hannah. I'll teach you all the ways of the Jedi." He reached out then, grabbing her hand softly. "Seriously, though. Weakness, it doesn't define us. What people say, how they hurt us, it's not who we are. It only becomes that way when we let it." 

Hannah grabbed at his fingers, squeezing them tightly while he talked. The tears in her eyes had no where to go but down, and finally, she let them. Tony squeezed back, letting her seek the comfort she needed, letting her know he was there, no matter the silence. 

"People can just... they can be really terrible, you know? I've felt... alone. Then I saw you break the way you did and I thought... I need that in my life. Someone who knows the hurt, but can deal with it, too." Hannah looked up then, her tear stained face never looking more beautiful. 

"Then you can have it, Hannah. No one has life figured out, but you can have people around you that can help. Me, Clay... you can have it. Just come and take it, okay?" Tony pulled her into him then, his arms wrapping around her shoulders. He hugged her tightly for what seemed like forever, Hannah leaning into him, grasping on to him. 

When they did pull away, her face was red, soaked with wetness. Yet, there was a new look Tony couldn't recall ever having seen before. He didn't know what it meant, but it made him feel better. 

"You, Tony, you're too nice for your own good. Thanks," she mumbled, her small hand swiping at the tears. "Thanks for letting me dribble all over you, too." A blue painted finger pointed to his hoodie, a big wet patch near the shoulder. 

"You don't have to say thank you. I was fighting off my own bad guys when you texted. You being here is just what I needed, so thank you," Tony remarked, shrugging his shoulders as he got up from the low stool. 

"I think we both need some sleep. Do you wanna crash here?" Tony asked, his body finally ready to relax. 

She shook her head, getting up from her stool. "The walk will do me good. Thanks, Tony. Really." With that, she walked towards the garage door, seemingly ready to leave. Tony unlocked it, pulling it up the same amount as Hannah slid back under. "Do you, Baker. It's fucking great," Tony said, a soft smile on his face. 

"Get to bed, Padilla. That hair isn't going to do itself." And with that, she was walking the rest of the way down his driveway, Tony losing the sight of her feet when she turned, heading towards her own house. 

"Do you, Hannah Baker. Keep on doing you." 

\--- 

Tony woke more gently later that morning. His limbs were heavy with tiredness still, but he felt a lot lighter, his conversation with Hannah doing them both a lot of good. 

Rolling over, Tony grabbed his phone, shooting a text to Clay. 

Tony: Sorry I've been off. Let me make it up to you? 

A couple minutes later, a reply binged, the red 1 sitting in the corner of the icon. 

Clay: Of course. You can leave a pony on my doorstep. I've always wanted one.  
Clay: Or breakfast is good, too. 

Tony shook his head, his heart light with how much happiness Clay could bring to him with just a couple texts. 

Tony: Breakfast it is. I'll save the pony for a big fuck up.

Taking in the time, Tony laid his phone down on the table, knowing he couldn't have Clay as a distraction in that moment if he was going to get his hair done. 

\--- 

Forty minutes later found Tony outside of Clay's house, the Mustang sitting idle against the curb.

Tony: Come and get it while it's hot.

Within a minute of the text being sent, Tony could see the door open. His boyfriend stepped out, long legs wrapped in the same denim as always, a maroon colored hoodie on his back. The guy was so handsome and all Tony's. That thought brought a grin to his face. Mine, all mine. 

Clay piled into the Mustang a couple moments later, the boy all smiles the second he saw Tony. "Good morning, sunshine," he greeted, leaning over to press a kiss to Tony's lips. A tan hand came up to cup the back of Clay's head when he tried to pull away, keeping them both firmly where they were. Tony intensified it a bit, slipping his tongue against Clay's, his fingers slipping between the dark locks, gripping tightly. They stayed that way, locked together for a while. Clay pulled back first, coming up for air.

"I don't know what happened, but I'm glad the badass, sass master is back. Gloomy Tony is no good for anyone." Clay grinned as he said this, tracing his boyfriend's lips before sitting back against his own seat.

"What's for breakfast?" the taller boy asked, rubbing a hand over his stomach. 

Tony reached over the back of the seat, pulling the Chick Fil A bag over it. "I haven't had this shit in forever. Those biscuits are better than my ma's." He stopped suddenly, turning to Clay. "Never repeat that," he whispered, shaking his head at the stupidity. Never insult your mother's cooking. Clay's laugh had him smiling, the absurdity of his reaction absolutely apparent. "My brother called her food slop once. I've never heard a spoon hitting someone's ass that loud in my entire life," Tony explained, a chuckle leaving his throat. "Never insult ma's cooking." 

Clay laughed harder, the taller boy grabbing Tony's face close for a quick kiss. "You're something, Padilla. I'll never tell your secret. The biscuits really are good." With a wiggle as he pulled away, Clay grabbed the bag, pulling a biscuit out. 

Tony grabbed one himself and relaxed against the seat. He was sure the Jensen's were curious as to why they were just sitting there, or maybe they didn't even notice. All he was aware of in that moment was the simple silence and the good food. After the hell of a week, the nightmares, all of it... being in this very moment washed it all away. 

"Hannah Baker came over to my house last night," Tony said after a while, breaking the silence.

Clay turned to him, bite halfway between the paper and his mouth. "Hannah Baker? Why?" 

Tony shrugged, not wanting to admit to himself that he'd been keeping something from Clay.

"I uh- I've been having the same nightmare for the passed couple nights. Really knocks me on my ass. I was up again last night and she texted. We talked. She asked me how I keep myself together the way that I do." Tony took in a couple breaths, smiling softly at the memory of their exchange. "Do you mind if I invite her to hang sometimes?" Tony questioned. His friendship with Hannah needed to run deeper than just late night chit chat. They both appreciated her existence. The addition of an exemplary third wheel wouldn't be too big of a deal. 

Clay shook his head, a breathy laugh leaving his throat. "That's actually hilarious. Monday, she came up and told me to ask you to come work with us. They've been trying to hire someone on that shift for ages now." Clay paused, turning in his seat. "That'd actually be perfect, you know. It's the perfect chance for all of us to hangout together." His lips were upturned, Clay somehow knowing that Tony was already sold. The details were just extra.

"You know I'd have to talk to my dad. But, as far as I'm concerned, count me in. I'll put in an application the next time you work," Tony replied, shrugging his shoulders before bringing the biscuit to his mouth, taking a satisfied bite. "What a good fucking idea. That corny clip on has kind of grown on me." Tony smiled, the first genuinely real smile he'd smiled all week. Popping the last bite in his mouth, the boy reached across, taking Clay's greasy hand. 

"I kind of love you, Clay," Tony admitted softly, his thumb brushing over the back of his boyfriend's hand. "We haven't been together long, but I just feel it. You're special." His cheeks were red, more from the passion and realness he felt for the words coming out of his mouth than anything else. 

Clay melted, his fingers relaxing into the stroke of skin. 

"Yeah. I kind of love you, too." 

The boys looked at each other, eyes soft, full of affection- the rightness of those exchanged words palpable. 

When they did kiss, it was a mere meet in the middle of pliable lips. The press and pull was smooth, their lips fitting together sloppily perfect each time. The best way to seal the deal, he thought, pulling away to supply his body with usable oxygen. Cheeks ached from the strain of utter happiness sitting on his face. Though, he couldn't bring himself to mind. 

"Fuck. We need to stop this gushy tomfoolery and get to school. Hold my hand and rock out to the music so I can focus on getting there." Tony said firmly, moving across lightening speed to press a wet kiss upon Clay's cheek. 

They got to school a few minutes later, the mood between them free and easy, the synchronized 'Galileos' loosening them up. Tony managed to park quickly, his haste to not get lost in all things Clay Jensen getting them there kinda early. Grabbing his Walkman and earbud headphones, Tony followed Clay out of the car. They walked closely towards the building. Holding out the player, he shook it, letting the earbuds fall dangle from his hand. "Let's go jam out in the library. I've got some ice coffee in my bag we can share." 

Clay nodded eagerly, knowing the cinnamon concoction over ice awaited him. 

They settled into one of the back tables, passing the cup back and forth, listening to some classic rock before time forced them to head out into the land of no return. They stopped at Tony's locker first, then moved to Clay's. As his boyfriend shut the locker door, Tony heard Hannah's voice, her tone a lot light than that morning. 

"The Wonder Twins. How is my favorite couple?" she asked, her lips upturned in a smirk. Tony rolled his eyes, reaching out to tug on a loose curl. "Better. Hulk's got it under control again."

Hannah wrinkled her nose, a soft snort leaving it. "Good, because no one likes him when he's angry." Her smile broaden, lips upturned completely. 

Tony felt Clay wrap his arm around his shoulder. "Hey guess what?" Clay chimed in, his own smile playing across his cheeks. 

Hannah shrugged, eyebrows lifting, silently asking what the hell. 

"Tony has decide to join us at the Crestmont. We'll need a trio name, I think. The Tres Stooges, probably." Clay babbled, the boy obviously excited by the latest bit of news. Looking over to Hannah, she seemed just as excited. 

"Good deal. Good deal. Fun times shall be had, pals. For now, I bid you goodbye. Homeroom awaits," she looked between them, smiling a real kind of smile. 

"Later Baker," they said together, her hand shooting in the air, waving as she walked away. 

Tony bumped his shoulder against Clay, shaking his head. "My brain. Leave it." 

Clay stuck his tongue out, eyes crossing. "Never. How do you think the mind control continues to work?" Rolling his eyes, he leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on Tony's cheek. "Later, Padilla. Until French." He winked, then brushed passed Tony lightly.

Tony stood staring, a silly grin on his face until first bell rang in his ears, sending him hauling tail the other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm really digging the inclusion of Hannah. She's fun to write, so I hope everyone is enjoying, too. Tony's little bit of PTSD will come back again.
> 
> If you want to see something specific include, comment below. I love adding your little tidbits. As always, thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The older Padilla brothers throw a kick back party. The boys enjoy until Monty shows up again.

Clay stood nervously in front of his closet, eyeing each of the shirts hanging critically. For the most part, Clay didn't care much about his clothes. His taste was always simple; jeans, a plain t-shirt, and whatever hoodie struck his fancy for the day. Then Tony and feelings came around and picking clothing became a little more difficult. More times than not, his mom came in clutch with a new t-shirt, or a different hoodie to mix things up. The shorter boy never had anything to say about his wardrobe that wasn't 'you look amazing' or 'nice', so he knew it wasn't a big deal. Them making the transition from friends to boyfriends didn't change that. 

When Tony told him he had a party they could go to make up for missing Jessica's, Clay nodded enthusiastically, happy to be going somewhere with Tony on his arm, happy to officially show him off as his boyfriend. Tony's "it's my brothers thing" immediately made him nervous, though. Over their years of being best friends, the older Padilla boys were like marvels; influences that he always watched from afar, admired, and tried to be like- though, that never lasted. 

He'd come to know how different Tony was from his brothers, and during more of his time over there in the recent past, Clay learned some interesting things about the older guys that made them seem just a bit less shiny. Yet, nothing could take away from childhood feelings. Which brought him to where he stood now, hand clenched in his hair, chest bare for the tenth minute in a row. The boyhood need to fit in with the cool older guys left him with nothing to wear. 

Groaning, Clay shook his head, knowing just how stupid this really was. He'd eaten dinner countless times at the Padilla's, the older three in tow more nights than not. It never mattered then. It was just a party, he reminded himself. Probably one where he'd end up sneaking off with Tony after a while, anyway. 

Thinking about that, Clay felt his chest blush, the clothing dilemma forgotten for the time being. Yesterday, before dropping him off at work, the two necked in the Mustang, hands flying, lips moving together hot and heavy. They broke apart, space between them heavy with carbon dioxide... recycled air. Clay sat panting, trying to catch his breath. When Tony leaned in, he turned his face, looking to return what he thought was a kiss. But, pink lips bypassed his own, instead sealing over the cartilage of his ear, teeth following them closely behind. A quick tug, then the ghost of warm air was the only thing left behind. Tony's evening stubble tickled him, his skin prickling from both desire and the crawly scratch. 

"I want to suck you off," he remembered hearing Tony mumble. The thickness Tony got to his words when aroused only made that statement sweeter, his entire body shuddering. "I want to run my tongue up the length, then suck the head of cock into my mouth. I've been thinking about it since that shower we took together," Tony continued, his lips and tongue brushing the shell of Clay's ear every couple of words.

Clay recalled the way all his blood draining to his dick felt. His head spun from it, little black dots dancing in front oh his eyes before he blinked quickly, getting rid of them. The rest of his limbs felt heavy, the skin of his back stuck deliciously to the smoothness of the leather. A groan left Clay's throat then, an action the boy still felt a little embarrassed by. 

Tony merely withdrew after that, placing soft kisses against the skin of his neck and cheeks. X marked the spot against Clay's lips, Tony pulling away completely then, a soft, lust filled smirk on his face. 

Clay forced himself to draw back from the memory, a rising arousal coursing through him wasn't going to help him get clothes picked out. The night needed to begin before it could get to the good stuff. 

Sighing, Clay focused on the stuff hanging in the closet again, determined to pick something this time around. 

\--- 

Thirty minutes later, Clay was closing the front door behind him, hollering a 'see you tomorrow' to his parents as he did. Looking down, the taller boy shrugged, happy to have finally gotten into clothes he felt kinda cool in. Slim, toned legs were wrapped in dark skinny jeans, Vans on his feet. Clay dug a blue and grey baseball style shirt from the back of his closet, digging now the way it matched with the jeans. He finished the look with a bit of gel through his hair, the locks having grown a little bit longer than ever before. Self confidence wasn't always a thing, but tonight, Clay knew he looked damn good.

His long legs got him to the Mustang before he knew it. Still kiss swollen lips tugged into a soft smile, his heart pounding hard the second he laid eyes on Tony. 

They both seemed to be dressing to kill. Tony wore a black and grey flannel open over a tight black t-shirt, the patented leather jacket visibly fling over the back of the seat. The boy left his hair surprisingly curly, his fringe landing over the top of his forehead, almost landing in his eye. Strong thighs were covered by a contrasting grey denim, boots barely laced finishing it up. Clay's mouth felt dry despite the drool he felt well up, conflicting emotions only adding to it all. Long lashes brushed his cheeks, Clay blinking quickly to get his shit together. "There aren't any words. Yum comes to mind, but I don't know if that's appropriate, either," Clay babbled, grinning from ear to ear. "I dig." He shook his head, letting a panted chuckle slip from his lips. He heard the corniness of the statement. 

Tony beamed, pink tongue slipping across his lips. "Same to you, Jensen. That shirt makes your biceps look most excellent," Tony replied, reaching between them to grab Clay's upper arm. Giving it a squeeze, Tony shivered, mocking a swoon. "I dig," Tony mumbled, pulling Clay in close to press their lips together as he did. 

The tongue trailing over Tony's own lips a few moments before now found its way between the seam of Clay's lips. He battled against it playful, the tip of his own running teasingly along the side of Tony's. The shorter boy huffed out a laugh, pulling away enough to rest his forehead against Clay's.

"I'm just warning you, we're not gonna last long at this thing. I've thought of a billion ways I want to peel that denim from your legs in the near future since you walked out the door. My brothers aren't that fucking cool," Tony told him, the seriousness of his tone making Clay laugh. 

"I seem to recall you saying they have a guest room you sometimes stay in. There may be a time in the night where we occupy it. If you're lucky," Clay replied, laughing harder at the look on Tony's face. "I'm joking, dude. You told me you wanted to suck my cock. It's the only thing I've been thinking about." Clay blushed at the brashness of his words, a hand coming up to scratch at the back of his neck sheepishly. "Fuck." 

Tony grabbed his hand, pulling it until long fingers pressed against a jean clad bulge. "Too right, man." 

The boy released him quickly after that, using his own hand to readjust himself. Keys found the ignition a moment later, the Mustang coming to life with a growl. 

\--- 

When they got to the apartment, Tony's brothers greeted them warmly, each one clapping Tony on the back before slapping five with Clay. "Little brother. Jensen. Nice of you to detach long enough to come have some fun," Alejandro joked, wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders, pulling them to one side of the place. "Drinks are here. None for Tony if he's gonna drive that beautiful thing," he continued, letting go of them long enough to point at every bottle sitting on the table. "Bathroom is down the hall and little Tony's big boy bedroom is right next to that." 

Tony elbowed his brother in the ribs, muttering something in Spanish Clay couldn't begin to understand. His boyfriend turned back to him, a red hue barely visible against his dark skin. 

"It's nice to know they're pulling for us," Clay said sarcastically, taking Tony's hand, interlocking their fingers. He squeezed, pulling Tony into him. "And since they practically gave us permission," Clay began, eyes twinkling, "we better take advantage." 

Brown eyes flashed with desire, heat tearing them up until only the black of his pupil could be seen. Tony used their joined hand to bring Clay closer, his hips thrusting ever so slightly. There were no words exchanged, Tony merely tugged on Clay's hand, and he followed. 

There steps were quick on the way to the bedroom, Tony stepping in and back, letting Clay come through the door before he shut it. The shorter boy leaned against it for a second, catching his breath. With a quick movement a moment later, greedy hands pulled Clay close, finger fisting into the tight shirt. 

Clay let Tony control the kiss. His limbs were getting that heavy feeling again and his mind was all about just giving into it. Long fingers pulled at Tony's gel free hair, trying to pull him closer or get more or something. Suddenly, Clay found himself with his back against the door, the boy so worked up the movement catching him by complete surprise. 

A small grunt left his lips, the sound changing into an appreciative sigh as Tony dropped to his knees. Tan fingers, bruises on the knuckle just barely visible, nimbly unsnapped the button on his jeans, do the same to the fly shortly after. Brown eyes glanced up, asking silently for permission, Clay knowing Tony would never move faster than he wanted to go. 

With a subtle nod, Clay found himself gasping as cold air hit the semi-wet head of his prick. "Fuck, warn a guy," he mumbled, the delirious nature of arousal setting in. The only thing that he could process was Tony on his knees, looking goddamn beautiful with blown pupils and messy hair. 

Clay went to say so, yet quickly fell silent, his mouth open wide instead, a loud grunt leaving his throat. Tony's lips were pressing softly to the tip of his dick, tongue peaking out every couple of kisses. He moved to long flat licks across the head, Clay's legs twitching as he did. When he finally took the length of it in his throat, Clay figured he'd come right then and there. His abs tightened up like he might. The sound of a zipper lowering distracting him, though, long enough to gain some composure and investigate. 

Glassy eyes took in the scene in front of him, Tony on his knees, hands fiddling with his own pants only to fist his own erection in time with the bob of his head. 

Clay wanted so much for this experience to last longer, but he could feel himself creeping towards out of control. A particularly naughty slide of Tony's tongue did him in, Clay coming with a garbled 'Tony'. His bones felt like goo, the boy barely remaining upright. He did see, however, Tony swallow and pull away, his hand flying for a second before he too reached the edge. Their eyes locked. Clay couldn't think of anything more sexy or intimate in his life.

"Holy fuck," Clay whispered, his chest heaving as he tried to calm down and reorient himself to Earth and gravity and not centripetal force making him feel like the world was spinning. He let his head fall against the door for a moment before mustering up the energy to reach down, helping Tony from the floor. 

The shorter boy pressed into him, nuzzling his button nose against Clay's cheek. "You're sexy when you cum. I dig." Tony capped his words off with a teasing bite on the cheek. His boyfriend stepped away, moving to buckle his pants back up, crashing on the bed and using the sheets to wipe off his hands. 

"You're gonna kill me, dude. You're gonna kill me," he said, his shoulder shrugging with post orgasm relaxation and tiredness. After another couple of moments, Clay joined him, the boy having regained the use of his legs. He leaned his head against Tony's shoulder, eyes closing for a second. 

"We can do that whenever you want," he said against the fabric of the boy's shirt. Every nerve fiber of his body still tingling pleasantly. "Whenever you want," Clay repeated, a soft chuckle lacing the words.

Tony pressed a kiss against Clay's hair, nodding. "Damn straight." 

They sat there, leaning against the other for a few minutes. When their breathing slowed, Tony moved, getting up from the bed, reaching to pull Clay up with him. "We're never gonna hear the end of it as it is. We should probably rejoin the festivities," Tony said, rolling his eyes at the truth of it. 

"We are here to party, after all," Clay retorted. 

\--- 

Clay left Tony to get washed up, the taller boy walking back down the hall into the much more crowded apartment. The number of people practically doubled since they disappeared into the room. 

His boyfriend's arm slipped around his waist, Tony pressing a soft kiss against his cheek. "Crowded in here now." 

A commotion at the front of the room had them both looking up, Clay confused to see Monty on the far side of the room. One of Tony's brothers was shaking his head, looking around the room. 

Tony detached quickly, walking over to his brothers, now trying to push the jock out the door. 

Clay could see Tony talking heatedly, both in the direction of Monty and at his brothers, Spanish and angry words flying everywhere. Shaking his head, bruises still prominent on his cheeks, Monty backed out of the room, all four Padilla men crowding the door until he could no longer be seen. Clay lost focus for a second, glad that Tony hadn't gotten himself into another fight. 

It took another few minutes for Tony to come back to him, the smaller boy obviously rattled, but calmed down enough to smile softly when he saw Clay. 

"Dude's an idiot." Was all Tony said to him, wrapping his arm around the width of Clay's shoulders. "Let's do some partying, huh?" 

Clay was too confused and dizzy drunk from his orgasm not long ago, so he let Tony's piss poor explanation slide. 

There'd be time to get it out of him later.

\--- 

Tony grabbed him a beer, the boy sipping on Coke himself. Clay almost wondered if a beer would help, or simply wind him up even tighter. He didn't offer, instead taking a sip and pressing his lips to Tony's, sharing the taste. 

"It's kind of pretty out here. They've got a good view, at least," Clay heard Tony mumble, a tan finger pointing up to the empty sky above them. Clay didn't even notice, his attention on all the stimulus overtaking his body and mind. Monty, his first blow job... the fuzziness of his couple sips of alcohol- Clay felt all over. His lips quirked into a smile when he looked up, though. The sky was blank, clear and blue, not a cloud in sight. Stars shone brightly against the blank blue canvas, making the night feel more calm than it should've. 

Tony leaned a hip against the railing in front of them, a hand coming to rest upon it. The other opened up, his fingers gesturing for Clay to step into the circle of his arm. 

"I'm happy to be here," Clay mumbled, pulling Tony to him until the shorter guy's arms were wrapped around his middle. "There's never a dull moment." 

Tony shook his head, dropping it. "Don't I know it." Instead of saying anything more, he pressed forward, pecking Clay's lips quick and soft, fingers digging into the back of his shirt. "Just let me protect you. That's all I'm saying." 

Clay felt his lips turn in a half smile, the boy nodding once. "Deal." He pulled back a bit, trying to look stern. "Just don't keep me in the dark. You owe me the story," he said, pointing over his shoulder, "when you're ready." 

The look on his boyfriend's face said grateful, Tony closing his eyes briefly before nodding again. "Sure, Clay." 

They detached then, Clay moving to stand next to Tony, both boys facing out towards the open sky. 

Nice night, Clay thought.

Another one for the books.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I laughed when I read through this, because smut ran into drama so freaking quickly. The next chapter will be a lot more chill. If you have anything you wanna see, leave a comment below. As always, thanks for the read!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's first day at the Crestmont.

A soft puff of air against his cheek brought Tony around the next morning. It didn't seem like they moved throughout the night, brown eyes taking in Clay's head still propped up on his shoulder. The boy willed his eyes to close again, taking him back to sleep, but they were stubborn, open for the foreseeable future. 

Tony inhaled a deep breath, still remaining relaxed against the bed. Slowly, his fingers trailed along the part of Clay's arm he'd been holding. The touch was featherlight, Tony still stuck between sleep melted and coming around. Clay's heat pressed against him keeping the preamble of sleep around, regardless of what his mind wanted. A soft smile pulled at the corner of his lips, the boy appreciating every second of his slow wake up. 

They tumbled in around 2 the night before, Clay a bit tipsy, Tony holding him close to keep him in a straight line. For a couple hours after they walked onto the porch, Tony periodically went back in the house, grabbing Clay another drink and getting some kind of shit from one of his brothers. After Monty's appearance and the immediate pained reaction Tony couldn't help, it felt good to feel carefree. Clay Jensen kinda drunk and flirty didn't hurt, either. 

By the fifth time Clay propositioned to return the earlier favor out in the open of the porch, Tony knew he needed to get them back to his house and in bed. Clay didn't protest when he said this, another warning bell ringing in his head. He kept his arm wrapped tight around the taller boy, saying a quick goodbye to his brothers before heading out the door. 

Clay snoozed in and out on the ride home, Tony looking over affectionately more times than he cared to admit. 

The walk into the house was easy, sleepy Clay malleable, easy to steer once they got through the kitchen. When they got into his room, Tony whispered a soft "take off your shoes and shirt," before doing the same. He crawled into bed as quickly as he could, knowing Clay was about to pass out and not wake up until the next morning. Tony managed to get under the covers before Clay crawled against his side, planted his head against Tony's tan shoulder, and fell asleep. 

The smile on Tony's face grew bigger at the memory, the kid in his arms a gem in every way. Finally a bit more awake, Tony lifted his head, lips pressing against Clay's noticeably longer hair. The familiar day after of gel made him laugh. What a shit. 

Tony laid there for a couple minutes longer, enjoying Clay's weight on him until he couldn't hold it any longer. Several sodas screaming to be released. He tried not to wake Clay, slowly slipping out from underneath the boy. The subtle change in his boyfriend's breathing told him he wasn't successful, blue eyes blinking sealing the deal. "Tony," Clay mumbled, a soft smile spreading still practically asleep lips. "Good start to the morning," the boy mumbled again before turning and relaxing onto his own back, cheeks slack with sleep quickly after. 

Tony shook his head, getting to his feet easily without the Clay sized weight. He pulled his tshirt on from the night before and padded out into the hallway. Most of the house was still asleep. His little sister's door was still closed, the faint sound of whatever tv channel she left on the night before. Snores towards the back of the house could only mean his dad still slept away. After finishing up in the bathroom, Tony could hear his mom's puttering in the kitchen, Saturday morning breakfast on its way. 

Tony smiled, the start of the day the best in what felt like a long time. The sound of the floor creaking in his room brought him back to that second, the boy turning and walking back towards his room. A smile slipped over his lips when he did, the sight of a sleepy, sort of hungover Clay Jensen quickly becoming one of his favorite things. His boyfriend rubbed a hand over his eye, making a noise as he did. 

"I surprisingly don't feel like shit," the taller boy said, getting up until the soles of his feet touched the ground. He stood up tall, both hands over his head and stretched, the bareness of his torso enticing as the muscles pulled taut. "I'm getting used to the party animal life," he said then, fist bumping the air jokingly. 

Tony moved to wrap him up in a hug, shorter arms meeting around the boy's back, pulling him in. The movement was quick, so Clay let out a huff of breath against him. "Yup, Clay Jensen, party boy," Tony replied, rolling his eyes. The gesture was affectionate, a bright smile on his face while he said it. 

Clay rolled his own eyes back, leaning forward to press their lips together lightly before pulling back completely. 

"Yeah, and you're a funny guy," Clay finally finished. He looked around the room, obviously trying to find something. Tony chuckled, stepping out of Clay's space to cross the room, picking up the shirt he remembered to pick up from the floor before they passed out. He chucked it to him, grinning when he went long and hit him square in the face. "Here you go, party animal." 

\--- 

A few hours later found him standing in front of the mirror in his room, both amused and exhausted by the sight in front of him. 

A couple days before, Tony followed Clay into the Crestmont. Both boy's were red faced from an impromptu make out session, the thought worrying Tony for a second before they stepped inside. Clay looked over his shoulder at him eagerly, a long finger pointing in the direction of the boss's office. "Good lucky, Padilla. I heard Hannah put in a good word for you earlier." Clay smiled at him, the want for Tony to be there pretty eager in his voice. 

Tony nodded, looking towards the office first, then the snack bar, a smile sliding across his face at the sight of Hannah Baker herself. The girl smiled lightly back, her signature finger wave being sent his way as she did. 

The boy clutched his application tightly. Telling his dad he wanted to work outside the shop some too wasn't nearly as hard as he expected. His brothers were little by little pulling back from their 'side' business, able to help the old man out more because of it. Tony was in the clear to work late into the night with his boyfriend and quickly becoming good friend. 

His feet carried him across the quiet lobby, boots stomping each step he took. A tan hand came up, fingers brushing through gel-styled hair. The nervous gesture calmed him slightly, the same hand leaving his hair to knock on the office door lightly. 

Tony came out a few minutes later, clutching the Crestmont uniform instead of the application like only moments before. "Guess you're both stuck with me," he finally said, picking up the bow tie, letting it swing back and forth from his fingers. "I might never take this off." 

Clay shook his head, and Hannah beamed, the girl opening her arms in a 'welcome' gesture. "Hope you learn to love the stench of burnt popcorn as much as we have.

Tony rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "I like the burnt shit." He shrugged, holding up the corny uniform. "Be back, work buddies, I've got to go gussy up." His eyebrows wiggled, Tony backpedaling for a second before turning around, the bow tie still swinging from his fingers. 

\--- 

The person staring back at him when Tony looked in the mirror was a pleasant stranger. He shared Tony's features; their plump lips the same, brow arch and slipped forehead still in tact. Yet, through all the similarities, the glowy nature of the guy in the mirror gave him pause. It was probably the bow tie, but Tony seemed to look different, maybe the radiating shine of enjoying life a whole fucking lot changing the way he saw himself. He liked what this looked like, even if the clip on bow tie clashed with the piece of tattoo that suck out of his collar.

His lips pulled into a genuine smile. Never in a million years did he expect to find himself here, but he sure as hell liked that he found his way to this very spot. Monty could fucking suck it. Nothing was going to take away the good stuff happening in his life. Tony could see a change in himself, a palpable, alive thing. He had to cling to that and let it take him where it may. In that second, where it may was back in the lobby to sling drinks and greasy popcorn. 

Looking at himself one more time, Tony grinned and nodded, digging everything about this. As he made it back into the lobby, Clay's radar seemed to go off, his boyfriend's head turning his way before Tony even made himself known. The boy stopped what he was doing, a half smile overtaking his face. "It's stupid that it looks better on you than me," Clay spoke out, the hint of sarcasm in his voice making both Tony and Hannah laugh lightly. "Stupid, I tell you." 

Tony closed the distance between himself and the stand, eager to finally relax behind it and get comfortable with his surroundings. That thought came true pretty quickly as people started to roll in consistently, Clay and Hannah showing him the ropes in the most effective way- while in action. By the time the crowd got steady, Tony could make his way around the place, drinks, popcorn, and the register taken care of. His hands on smarts were coming in handy, Tony grateful for all the time he spent mindlessly navigating himself around the shops in's and out's. 

He found himself behind the register when Jeff Atkins stepped up to it, what looked like Sherri standing by his side. "Padilla, man, I didn't know you worked here," Jeff said, the guy reaching a hand out. Tony slapped his hand, nodding when he pulled away. 

"First day in progress, dude. So far, so good." Tony replied, surprised by the truth of it. "Tell me you're here to see The Shining," he continued, looking between Jeff and Sherri. The taller boy beamed, nodding his head eagerly. "Total classic. Nicholson's the man." Tony couldn't help but nod, remembering pretty clearly why he'd always liked the jock. 

Jeff placed an order then, Tony slapping his hand one more time as the couple walked away with their stuff a couple minutes later. Clay spoke a quick hey to the two, a light smile of his face. 

Tony remembered the few times he'd been in the library, listening to Clay try and delicately lead Jeff through history. They had an easy friendship like Clay and himself, the guy hard to not like. 

It got a little quiet after that, he, Clay and Hannah finally able to rest against the glass cases, each sipping on their one employee allotted drink. 

"Most fun I've had at work," Hannah piped up before taking a sip of her drink. "No offense, Helmet." 

Clay sucking in a loud breath, hand coming up to his chest, the mock offended gesture making the other two laugh. "How dare you," he mumbled. "But for real, she's right." Clay said a second later, reaching to tap Tony on the shoulder. "Guess being able to stare as your ass all afternoon has its perks." Clay looked to Hannah, the two sharing a look before they bumped fists. Tony saw them talking closely together earlier during a small break in people, but thought nothing of it. He'd need to watch them a little more closely from me now. He chuckled still, the thought of the two of them talking about him making it more funny than anything else. 

"Well. I'm glad to be your source of entertainment," Tony mumbled, voice sarcastic as he bent at the waist, bowing. "So, when do we ditch the counter and sneak into the back row of the theater. The Shining is one of my favorites," Tony asked then, moving to stand next to Clay, their arms touching when Tony settled himself against the glass. 

Hannah looked around, making sure the office door was closed, he assumed, before nodding her head. "The last show starts in 30 minutes. We can lock the front door and catch some Nicholson action then." Her voice was low as if worried they were going to get caught, or simply caught in the moment of being sneaky. Whatever it was, Tony found himself nodding, a smile clicking into place. 

Clay's fingers tickled his own then, Tony turning to blast the same smile towards him. "I should've thought about asking you to do this forever ago. It's a fucking blast," Clay said, slipping their hands together, fingers tangling. "It'll make 10.50 and hour even more worth it." 

The two shared a smile, Tony totally immersed in it until the heard a loud gagging sound behind them. "You two sicken me," Hannah said, her eyebrows high on her forehead. The smile she wore, however, it spoke volumes. A pink color tinged her cheeks, happiness radiating.

"Says she who's been looking at my ass all day," Tony threw back, a smirk pulling on his lips. Her hands flew to cover her mouth, a squeak followed by a laugh leaving it. "Touché, car salesman." Hannah shook her head and rolled her eyes, turning around; the same smile still plastered on her cheeks. 

\--- 

Clay's ringtone brought him back to the present, Tony looked up, still seeing the glowy happy version of himself from a couple days ago. His fingers pulled on the ends of the bow tie to straighten it before grabbing his phone, opening the message sitting on it. 

Clay: You better hurry, Padilla. The make out minutes are dwindling.  
Clay: And I'm excited to see you.  
Clay: Hurry up! 

Tony laughed to himself, shaking his head. The pure goodness of Clay's personality never ceased to make the already deep feeling furrow a little further into his heart. Stepping away from the counter, Tony replied back quickly before leaving the bathroom. 

Tony: I had to make sure my clip on was on straight.  
Tony: And I'm excited to see you, too. 

Walking into his room, he grabbed his keys and overnight bag. The perks of being best friends with his boyfriend meant their parents still trusted them to be in the room alone together. Clay's mom checked on them periodically whenever Tony stayed over there, but the boy claimed that as a win, just glad they weren't banned from that now that they were together. The temptation to take advantage was there, but the easy way they spent their time together usually took over, the two playing video games or falling asleep with Clay's laptop between them before anything more could happen. 

Blinking, Tony turned back towards the door, opening his phone to send off another text. 

Tony: On my way.  
Tony: Te amo, Corazon. 

Tony's chest felt warm from the ease in saying that, the ridiculous fact that he was actually able to still something he struggled to remind himself was real. Being with Clay was too damn easy. He figured that's why people fell in love with their best friend. 

Walking through the kitchen, Tony gave his mama a quick peck on the cheek. "Hasta mañana, ma," he said pulling away. She stopped him, reaching to straighten the silly clip on, her fingers finishing on his cheeks with a pinch. "Be good," she said before pulling away herself, a smile on her face. 

When Tony finally got on the road, he let himself relax back into the leather. The drive to Clay's was quick, the boy glad for it as the impatience to see the taller kid grew the closer he got. Tony, like usual these days, didn't even have to text Clay. His boyfriend told him the sound of the engine was distinct, something Clay listened for whenever he knew Tony was coming. The thought made him smile, Clay knowing everything about him, even the noise of his car. 

Clay bounded down the path, reaching the Mustang before Tony could count to ten. The taller boy opened the door, climbing in smoothly. 

"Hello, handsome," Clay mumbled, leaning in, grabbing Tony's face between both his hands. "Tony, Tony, Tony," he whispered, finally closing the distance between them. 

Air forced them apart, the need for it making their chests heave as they looked at each other. 

"Ready for another fun filled adventure at the Crestmont?" Clay asked, eyes twinkling with amusement. 

Tony didn't answer for a second, leaning forward to press their lips together again. 

"Better believe it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to toss a little throwback chapter in. I like the idea of Tony joining them at the Crestmont, so I wanted to set the scene for future reference, since I'll be incorporating stuff from that in pretty often. As always, thanks for the read! Happy Saturday.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's laser tag and bets. Oh, and Monty, too.

A few weeks passed for the couple. The intensity of their friendship and the new ground they made as a couple bringing them closer, day by day. Clay noticed a subtle sort of withdraw from Tony over the weeks, however. Like the boy was waiting for the other shoe to drop, or something. Clay figured Monty had everything to do with it, yet knew Tony would talk to him. He had to trust that Tony would make sure he knew everything he needed to—especially if he were in danger. 

Shaking his head of the thought, Clay also noticed how his body reacted around Tony. Despite the little drawback on Tony’s part, which was more information wise, anyway, Clay couldn’t stop himself from thinking about Tony, Tony, Tony—whenever he could, and whenever he didn’t really have time for it, either. Their passed sexual encounters played on his mind, plaguing his dreams more times then he cared to count. Out of the passed seven days, Clay woke up to sticky pants for at least five of them. A soft blush played across his cheeks, the boy knowing exactly what it all meant. Clay finally felt ready for the next level. He just needed to figure out a way to express that.

Popping up from his bed, Clay took a seat at his computer chair, suddenly interested in what Lord Google had to say about seduction, and how one may go about doing it.

\---

The next day, Tony picked him up later in the evening, the two headed out for a date filled with junky video games, bowling, and laser tag. Clay loved Main Event, and during their time together over the summer, he made Tony a lover of it, too. Now that they were both working, dates and such were easy. A little bit of Crestmont money and they were all set.

When Clay piled his long legs into the car, Tony reached across the console, tan hand grabbing the button down shirt the boy put on just for the occasion. “I only left like… two hours ago. Waiting to come back was torture,” Tony said to him before their lips were otherwise occupied for the next couple of minutes. When they pulled back, Tony lingered, his forehead pressing against Clay’s—in a way Clay felt was almost… desperate. Tony left after school to take care of some family business, promising to be back in time for their date. Though Clay wanted to know what the hell was going on more than anything, he simply nodded, placing a soft kiss on Tony’s cheek before his boyfriend left for home.

Clay took Tony’s hand, giving it a squeeze, relaxing back into the seat for the first time since climbing in. “I hope everything went alright with your brothers,” Clay spoke softly, squeezing tan fingers again. Tony nodded, eyes going distant for a second. This happened any time they mentioned his family. Tony would nod off mentally for however long, the boy’s features looking a bit pained. He’d come around, though, brown eyes suddenly fixing on blue. Tony tried to smile it off, but Clay knew—and Tony knew that he did.

Tony let go of his hand for a second, putting the Mustang into drive and pulling away from the curb. “Fucking Main Event. Are you excited?” Tony asked, grabbing Clay’s hand again, the somber mood from mere moments before totally gone. Clay marveled at the way Tony could juggle so many things in his mind, and made a note to finally ask about it all at the end of their night.

“Are you serious? I always love the opportunity to kick your ass in laser tag,” Clay replied, using his free hand to form a finger gun, a little ‘pew, pew’ leaving his mouth. Tony’s face split in a grin. He might not agree with Clay beating his ass, but Jensen mannerisms were his favorite.

“You better watch your mouth, Jensen. There aren’t going to be any little kids there tonight. My score isn’t going to tank because of some little dude standing behind me hitting my vest whenever it turned back on like last time.” Tony’s voice still carried a hint of annoyance. Their last adventure to this place, they were the only ones over the age of ten, everyone in the laser tag place yelling ‘get the teenagers’. Though, they only seemed to go after Tony, Clay noticed halfway through the game. Friday’s were reserved for the high school crowd, so it’d be all out between the two of them.

“I hope that’s the case, babe,” Clay said in reply, his eyebrows wiggling. “Care to make a bit of a wager?”

Tony turned his head, brown eyes coming off the road for a second before he faced front again, a beaming smile on his face. “A wager?” Tony asked, finally healed knuckles tightening his fingers on the steering wheel as he did. The shorter boy shook his head, smile growing. “Okay. You’re on. What are the stakes?” he asked again, the Van Halen song playing in the background only enhancing the excitement obviously boiling between the two boys.

“If you win, I’ll do all the gum scraping duty for the next month at work,” Clay started, grinning as Tony nodded his head. “And if I win…” he trailed off, blush working over his face against his will. “And if I win, I want you to fuck me.” Clay let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, the words coming out of his mouth lifting a weight off his shoulders. He almost expected Tony to tell him they could do it whenever Clay was feeling ready, but wasn’t disappointed when he didn’t. Instead, Tony used his knee to drive, reaching over with a fist out, expecting Clay to pound it to seal the deal.

“You’re on,” the said in unison, Clay reaching forward, his knuckles bumping against Tony’s lightly.

“This is a turn of events that I didn’t expect,” Tony mumbled, shaking his head, the megawatt smile still on his face. “I love that you never stop surprising me.” His words were spoken with so much affection behind them. There was a serenity in Tony’s voice that Clay liked. Tony didn’t hide his feelings around Clay, each one of them sitting prominently on his shoulder, ready to be interpreted, or talked about in whatever way. Being loved that way felt overwhelming at times, yet Clay wouldn’t change it for a single second. He only hoped his love for Tony showed so obviously to the other boy, too.

\---

The drive finished smoothly. They talked about their last couple of shifts at the Crestmont, and Hannah, who seemed to be doing a lot better. They saw her smiling more and at school, the girl sat with them at lunch. They were quickly joined by Jeff Atkins after that, the jock sitting and enjoying the ease of everyone’s company—especially Hannah’s. They caught her with texts from him on her phone, which they hadn’t let her forget about since.

When they finally got there, Tony parked in the back, his Mustang too nice a car to be in the proximity of others. Or, Clay thought, it was just a reason to wiggle his fingers and say “there’s a good Clay sized spot,” while patting his thighs. He saw Tony push his seat back ever so slightly, making room for Clay. They’d found themselves in this position a lot over the passed couple of days. Clay noticed Tony avoiding having him at his house, and the Jensen’s were only out every now and again, so they were limited to the crowded space of the Mustang and the supply closet at work.

With an excited inhale of air, Clay climbed across the console, settling with either thigh on the outside of Tony’s leg. Calloused fingers ran up his neck the second he settled in, the tips of them running along the vein, up into his hair. Tony gripped the longer locks, letting the silkiness of them slip through his fingers. Just the other day, Tony told him just how much he liked the new length of his hair, their position quite like this one. With the leverage, Tony pulled forward, bringing their lips together in a heated kiss.

Clay let himself melt into it, his entire body on fire with pent up want. He wanted so much to not have barriers between them. He wanted to be laid out on either of their comfortable beds, Tony’s weight pressing him down. He wanted so much of Tony that he wasn’t surprised when his dick hardened, their kissing sensual and so fucking sexy.

That need started to bubble up even further inside Clay, the boy pulling back with a sigh after a few more minutes of heated kissing. “We could always skip the laser tag,” he mumbled, resting his cheek against Tony’s, his breath ghosting against the boy’s skin. He felt Tony laugh, both of his boyfriend’s hands settling around his waist, fingertips resting ever so slightly on the peak of Clay’s ass.

“Not a fucking chance, Jensen,” Tony mumbled before leaning in to press another kiss to his lips. “You made it part of the bet. Now, you’ve gotta earn it.”

\---

They were let into the little room about half an hour later. With the discounted prices of all the tickets for the night, the two bought combo passes; they could play unlimited laser tag for the entire night and video games three hours after the first swipe of their card. The place was crowded, so getting their shit took a bit longer than either of them wanted.

The boys stalked to different sides of the room, Tony grabbing a blue gun and vest, Clay a red one. The thing was heavy and uncomfortable, but the next thirty minutes would be enough fun to make that little fact go away. After pulling the thing down over his head, Clay went to stand by Tony, bumping their shoulders together. “No kids in this one,” he mumbled, a soft laugh leaving his lips, “lucky you.” Tony shot him a look, the boy’s face a shade of pink, his lips raised in what Clay could only describe as a shit eating grin. “Unlucky for you,” his boyfriend replied, making Clay grin from ear to ear. “It’s so fucking on.” Once the words were out of his mouth, he moved, pressing a kiss to Tony’s forehead. “So on.”

The game started a few minutes later, the tech coming in to give them instructions on how to use the guns, where they could and couldn’t go, and not to run. After that, he stepped away, letting them all find spots in the big complex. Clay knew this place pretty well by now, the two of them spending a good majority of their weekends here over the summer. This would be the hundredth or something game they played together, the thought sending a warm tendril of heat through him. Their relationship had changed and hadn’t so much in the little time since their first date. Clay couldn’t possibly ask for more.

When the ring sounded for the game to begin, Clay moved around the barriers, clicking the trigger on his gun, hitting a couple people from the blue team before his vest sounded, blue eyes looking up to find Tony there smiling. The boy held up a finger, pink lips mouthing “one to nothing,” before he turned, heading the opposite way. Clay rolled his eyes, moving up the ramp to the second part of the arena while he waited for his vest to come back to life.

The two went around each other like that, it obvious that they were only playing with the other, though, both took hostage points whenever they could. Clay found Tony leaning against one of the barriers, the boy obviously looking the other way. He fired off his gun, grinning when Tony’s vest lit up, the blue lighting up the boy’s skin in an eerie way. “You shit,” Tony got out, short legs carrying him towards Clay. Instead of moving, the boy let himself be backed against one of the barriers himself, Tony pressing in on him, a soft smile on his lips. “You’re so damn sneaky,” Tony said, nuzzling his nose against Clay’s. In the next moment, Clay was moving out from his boyfriend’s grasp, once again pulling the trigger, making Tony’s vest light up for the second time. “You know it, Ton,” he got out, cackles of laughter falling from his lips in the process. Long legs took him back down to the first level of the place, Clay knowing Tony would be in it the rest of the time to beat him and nothing else.

\---

They walked out of the arena hand in hand after the time sounded. It took a second to deposit their vests before heading out the door, their scores up on the screen. Clay let out a little whoop, his hand moving into the air in a victorious nature. He’d won. He’d won, only by a couple points, but he’d done it. The spoils of their bet were his. Though, he had to admit that Tony won in this one just as much as he did.

“Damn,” he heard Tony mumble, though disappointment couldn’t be heard in his voice. The shorter boy leaned against one of the walls by the screen, a soft grin on his cheeks. “What a bummer paying out your reward is going to be,” Tony said, his voice louder this time. Clay didn’t know if his boyfriend simply let him win, or was enjoying the excitement on Clay’s face, but the lack of disappointment made him somewhat suspicious. They talked such a big game in the car.

Grabbing Tony’s hand, Clay smiled widely, pulling him towards the massive Mrs. Pacman game he saw when they first walked in the place. “Yeah. What a fucking bummer.” They both laughed at that, Clay gripping Tony’s hand tightly, the pure opposite of that thrumming through him. He’d been waiting to have sex with someone that actually cared about him. It was probably unheard of this day in age, being a virgin still, but opening himself up was something Clay still struggled with. Self confidence was a brand new thing to him, and with it came self awareness. Until the thing started with Tony, Clay didn’t even know what it was like to really want something so desperately. He didn’t know what he was missing, and was glad for that. Tony introducing him to sins of the flesh, allowing him to discover it at his own pace, made him so sure about it all. Clay, for the first time in his life, knew exactly what he wanted—the facts and evidence thoroughly examined before coming to the decision.

The action would have to wait, however. Clay heard Tony suck in a breath, blue eyes glancing up the second he did. Monty de la Cruz stood by the side door, his eyes searching. Clay grabbed Tony’s hand, bringing the boy’s attention to him, instead of the jock standing at the front of the place. “Tony,” Clay mumbled, gripping his boyfriend’s hand tightly. He could see the firm set of Tony’s jaw, like the boy was wrestling with all the thoughts and emotions running through his head. “Tony, lets just go,” he said, louder this time, drawing attention towards himself for the first time since they noticed Monty by the door.

Tony nodded, slipping his fingers into Clay’s before moving quickly, dragging Clay along with him. He’d never seen Tony move as fast as he did, the boy’s short legs carrying him at his own pace, on his own time. Clay’s heart started to beat a little faster. It wasn’t unusual to see people from school here. Hell, they shared their laser tag game with Bryce and Justin, the two fucking around with each other more than anyone else. Yet, Monty’s appearance meant something else, something that Tony had yet to share with him. That had to change, though. Clay didn’t like being dragged away from stuff without knowing exactly why.

They were almost completely at the car before they heard a voice. Tony dropped his hand immediately, moving to put his body between Clay and Monty.

“Dude. This following me shit is getting kind of old,” Tony said, hands slipping into his leather jacket, the boy trying to seem nonchalant. “In fact, it's starting to really piss me off.” Clay felt his heart start to beat even harder, actual fear gripping him just the slightest bit.

“They cut me off. I want you to fix it,” Monty finally said, his still bruised face now a sickly yellow-green color. “You and your faggot boyfriend have caused me so much trouble, I just want to get my shit like usual.”

Tony used a hand to push Clay back, putting more space between the jock and him. “I think your use of that filthy fucking word is what has you cut off, dude. Let shit die down and then maybe you’ll be able to get your shit. But this stops now,” Tony replied, his voice loud, legs carrying him forward. “I don’t want to see you around me, anymore. I don’t want to see you around Clay, anymore. Don’t test me, Cruz. It’s not just me you’re fucking with now.” Tony finished, closing the little bit of gap left between himself and Monty.

They were nose to nose before Monty finally put his hands up, exasperation written clearly on his face. Clay, looking now, could see how jittery the kid looked, the gross color of his bruises only contributing to it, not the actual cause. His stomach dropped when he finally realized what all of this was about.

Monty stepped away first, the boy backing up without turning his back. Once he was out of sight, Tony made his way back over to Clay, grabbing his hand, pulling him the rest of the way to the Mustang.

\---

When they got in, Clay turned in his seat, arms crossed in front of him. “Tell me everything. Please, Tony. I don’t want to feel like I just did now.” Clay reasoned, his arms still guarding himself across his chest, demeanor serious. Tony blinked, closing his eyes tightly for a couple moments before nodding.

“My brothers sell drugs, Clay. Their business,” he started, fingers quoting in the air around the word business. “Their business is moving and selling drugs. Monty—he’s a customer, a pretty regular one if Alejandro is to be believed. After they found out about what happened with him and me, they cut him off. They’ve been supplying him some pretty heavy shit and then took it away. From what I heard, the dude is pretty strung out.”

Tony looked up at him then, both hands coming up to frame his face. His ring covered thumb moved to brush under his cheek bone, the move soothing for the both of them. “He’s been following me around. Like his presence will intimidate me enough to call my brother’s off of him, or something. The dude is stupid if he thinks I’m the one doing this. My brother’s have a mind of their own. I don’t mess with any of that shit.” He took a deep breath, his thumb still moving. Tony’s face contorted, exasperation, angst, and a bit of anger moving over it, taking his features in their hands. He leaned forward, pressing their lips together softly. “All I care about is protecting you. I’ve been trying to do that and not freak you out at the same time. I’m sorry I didn’t just talk to you about it. My uh—my brother’s shit is not mine. I hate you even knowing that’s a part of it.”

Clay let out a breath, the truth of it all making sense. Now that he knew about everything, Tony pulling away the way he did made the most sense of all. The boy would do anything to protect Clay, even if that meant removing himself. It warmed his heart, how much love Tony had for him. “Holy fuck, Tony. I’m sorry you shouldered all of that. I’m sorry I didn’t even pick up on the complexity of the situation.” Clay leaned into the touch of his boyfriend’s hands, giving them both the reassurance needed with the move. “I’m glad you’re okay.” 

Tony tried for a smile, the expression ending up more pained than anything. Clay knew about the dreams, knew how all this affected the guy he loved. Like he'd said so many times, once Tony took you under his wing, there was no going back. It only made it worse, their feelings for each other. Clay would be Tony's first priority, worry, and thought. 

Clay leaned in then, pressing his lips against Tony's lightly. "I love you, Padilla," he said softly, putting as much feeling behind each word as he could. "I really, really do." 

"I love you, too, Clay. Obviously," Tony returned with a roll of his eye, this time, the smile genuine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone left a comment last time asking if Monty's story continues. Well, here's the answer to that. I hope you guys enjoy this one. It was a blast to write. Im a sucker for laser tag. If you have some prompts or bunnies you wanna see, leave me a comment below. As always, thanks for the read!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finally pays up. There's some corniness thrown in there, too.

Once the truth about Monty came out, Tony felt a whole lot better. He’d been pulling back little by little over the passed few weeks. The pain of it making him hard to be around, both his parents and brothers telling him so. Until confronting him, Tony didn’t know what Monty was going to do, and wanted to keep Clay as far away from it all as he possibly could. The problem with such vivid dreams like Tony had was the fear that came along with them. Every night he gasped awake, Clay’s deformed face fresh in his mind, the fear only grew. With the jock in his place for the moment, Tony felt more comfortable letting his guard down, allowing himself to get back to the closeness he’d been building with Clay since the end of the previous school year.

There was also the little bit of loose ends he had yet to tie up in terms of their outstanding bet. The couple days after the encounter, the two laid low. They went to work, enjoyed their time together and with Hannah, and let everything die down. Monty wouldn’t be getting anything from him, and the sooner he learned that, the sooner he’d be able to get back to building more and more upon his and Clay’s relationship.

He’d been thinking about how he could possibly make this all up to Clay. For this being the kid’s first experience with relationships and being out and proud, Tony didn’t know how Clay was taking it all in stride the way that he was. People still stared at him as he walked down the halls. Most of the time, he couldn’t decide if it was because they were afraid of him, or simply taking the time to see what might happen next. The fight between he and Monty was still so fresh to so many people, yet, it didn’t seem to bother Clay at all. Tony thought that was Clay’s silent way of being supportive, but couldn’t tell. He wanted to avoid the subject as much as he possibly could. The brain bytes he already lost to worrying about the situation—he’d never get back.

Thankfully, they were heading in to a weekend. A weekend that he cleverly got off for the both of them. Their boss loved the work the three of them put together. He, Clay, and Hannah making that place run like a machine whenever they were on shift. In reward, he’d given them all the weekend off, not before Tony put the bug in his ear, of course. He and Clay deserved a bit of time alone together. They’d include Hannah on their plans for Sunday, but Saturday, Clay Jensen was his and his alone. It took a bit of work with Mrs. Jensen, but things were finally all set. After spending most of their Friday night together the night before, where Tony made sure to keep things tame between them, the boy knew Clay would be ready for this—finally, the payment for winning the bet.

\---

Before leaving his house for the weekend, Tony talked to both his parents. He wanted to make sure they knew where he’d be, and when he’d be home. The stuff with Monty didn’t just affect his life with Clay. His brothers were staying more close to home, sticking around to help in the shop, staying for dinner as often as they could. The Padilla parents were not stupid, and immediately demanded to be filled in after the second week of having all three of their eldest sons home multiple days in a row. His parents were a bit more on guard since then, Tony seeing the justification in it and cooperating as much as he could. They each said their own version of goodbye before he left, his father slapping him on the back, his mother going as far as to kiss his cheek. Brown eyes rolled affectionately. “See you Sunday night,” he hollered over his shoulder, Mustang keys in hand.

Tony could practically do the drive to Clay’s house on autopilot these days. He’d been there so many times over the passed half a year that he could probably make it there with his eyes closed—safely. He loved driving his car, the rumble of the engine giving him goosebumps even still. Yet, he also liked the ease of it. Anything he needed to think through, he could let flit through his head as the tires ate up the road, even his car knowing where to go without direction.

Now, the wheels eating up the pavement below, Tony contemplated taking this final step with Clay.

There would be no denying how much of his heart Clay already had. Hell, he could pinpoint how long it’d been since he felt this way about the boy—could even say to the exact second when it happened, and how, and why. That didn’t really matter, though. They were together, Clay obviously feeling the same way about him. Tony seemed to be finally getting everything that he wanted. The shit with Monty almost took that away, even if him being around the two of them wasn’t the extreme he thought it could turn out to be. Tony got his first taste of the pain not being around Clay would bring, and couldn’t bring himself to want that—not ever. He couldn’t stop himself from thinking about what would happen if Clay didn’t like what the final step entailed and called it quits right there on the spot. Every part of him belonged to Clay. He just wanted to make sure giving the final piece away wouldn’t be the nail in his coffin. Sucking in breath, Tony tried hard to shake the thought away.

His phone vibrating under his leg had him slowing down a bit, using his free hand to grab it. He let his thumb rest against the fingerprint reader, his thoughts turning to whatever might be in the message his boyfriend sent. Lips quirked in a much needed smile when he read it. Clay, not even with him, seemed to know when he needed a little bit of push in the right direction.

Clay: I love you.  
Clay: I’m going to say it to you in person here in a few minutes, but I couldn’t stop myself from texting it to you, too.  
Clay: I hope you can tell how much.

Tony let his smile widen, each of the previous thoughts and doubts about the thing going to happen between them flying out the window. How could he possibly have any doubts when the boy was so goddamn sweet and honest about everything between them. No, this was what they both wanted. Tony was going to make it the best possible experience for his boyfriend, no doubt about it.

A few clearing breaths later, Tony’s head was clear. He hit the reply box and typed out a quick one.

Tony: I love you, too.

\--- 

The Jensen’s were leaving the house when he pulled up to the curb. Mrs. Jensen shot him a smile, pulling him into a tight hug when he passed. “Take care of him, won’t you?” the woman asked, pulling back to look at him. Her eyes told him she believed he already did. They were filled with gratitude, but also warning and caution. “I’ve been trying my best, Mrs. Jensen,” Tony replied to her, smiling softly, his own eyes trying to portray the length of his feelings and how far he’d really go to make sure Clay was absolutely taken care of.

“We didn’t say a word when we left. I’m pretty sure he’s up there with his headphones on, anyway,” She told him before getting in the car. As their Civic backed out of the driveway, she rolled down the window, speaking out one more time. “You two have fun now.” Her voice was light for the first time, the smile on her lips genuine and real. Despite her not being able to see him, he smiled back, nodding. There wasn’t a single doubt in his head now—they’d have the time of their lives, if he had anything and everything to do with it.

Heading into the house quickly, Tony put his bag on the table by the front door, quickly taking out all the supplies he’d been working to find throughout the week. First the tea light candles went up around the room and stairs, each one flickering in the darkness of the room, casting a soft shadow against the wall. The tape player came next. Tony pulling that from the bag, too, glad that his love for the things hadn’t gone by the wayside. There was something about the scratch of a tape being played, the way you could hear every sound in the background, that made it sound that much better. He knew as long as he had access to tapes and a thing to play them on, they’d be his music mode of choice.

With everything set up the way that he wanted it to be, Tony hit the play button on the player, finishing his walk up the stairs. Like his mom said, Clay was currently sitting with his back against the wall, lounging on his bed—Beats covering his ears. When he eventually saw Tony, the headphones were thrown off. Tony dropped his bag by the door, knowing he was about to have an armful of Clay Jensen. Clay smiled widely, shooting from the bed until his long arms were wrapped around Tony’s neck. The taller boy relaxed against him, Tony feeling his chest rise and fall, knowing Clay was taking in his scent. Tony never noticed he did that until a couple days ago. The hilarity of Clay scenting him made it all that much more endearing. Though he never said anything about it, Tony noticed it every time from that point on.

Clay pulled back after a second, a look of confusion in his eyes. “Are my parents playing one of your tapes?” his boyfriend asked, the furrow of his eyebrows making Tony’s heart beat a little faster. “No, I saw your parents on my way in. They’re going to be out for the night. They told me to tell you,” Tony replied, shrugging his shoulders, acting like he wasn’t the one requesting their departure earlier in the week. Clay shrugged himself, happy to relax back into Tony and sway to the music.

“I was just about to say—I asked for the cash to get a tape player myself a little bit ago and got denied cold.” Clay laughed by the end of the stream of words coming out of his mouth. Some things would never really change. “You can always use mine,” Tony managed to say through his own laugh. They shared pretty much everything already, anyway—his tapes and love of music wasn’t something he was afraid to be stingy with.

Tony leaned forward, brushing his nose against Clay’s lips, then followed it with his own lips. They captured Clay’s in a soft, yet filled with heat kiss. Tony stayed pressed in, hands around Clay’s hips keeping the boy there until the need for air yanked them apart. The color on both their cheeks matched, each blushing from the desire coursing through them, and the slight embarrassment being somewhat physical still brought about.

“I thought that tonight, I could finally pay up. I know you won more than a week ago and I’ve been lacking. I just—wanted to make sure things were alright between us. I wanted to make sure you were safe and Monty was actually out of the picture before we finally give ourselves to the other, you know? I’m sorry it took me so long.” Tony said this softly, never once taking his eyes away from Clay’s. Without waiting for a reply, he pulled the boy by the hand into the hallway.

Clay’s eyes took in the warm light, the contrast of it against the darkness of the room really beautiful. Blue eyes shone with what seemed like the same light, Clay’s face softening as the look in his eyes became more and more dominant. “You made it special,” Clay mumbled, turning to Tony. The shorter boy nodded his head, starting to speak before being cut off by lips on his. Clay's tongue started to creep across the seam of Tony's lips almost immediately, the boy looking to deepen their connection. Tony was more than willing, letting his hands drift around Clay's hips, his mouth opening to allow the eager exploration. 

While Clay explored his mouth, Tony let his hands drift. Fingertips moved over the denim, bypassing pockets until the meat of his boyfriend's ass rested against the palms of his hands. Giving his ass cheeks the slightest squeeze, Tony used his grip as leverage, pressing their hips together with a gentle push. He let out a soft breath, pulling back ever so slightly. Clay's erection pressed against his own. Tony let his hips roll, the motion sensual, dirty in a way that only enhanced the thick, mind blowing tension between them. 

Using the still tight grip on Clay's ass one more time, Tony steered them forward. His legs pressed against Clay's as they tangoed backwards in the general direction of the bed. Tony let go with one of his hands, feeling for the doorframe to help direct them in the right direction. He kept his grip tight with the other hand, though, both unwilling to stop touching and kissing. Tony knew the second the back of Clay's knees hit the bed, the other boy letting out a soft huff of breath against his lips before finally pulling away. Calloused hands moved up to press against Clay's chest, pushing until the taller boy hit the bed. 

"You're so damn gorgeous," Tony murmured, both hands moving to his head, fingers running through gelled down locks. His chest heaved with the lack of oxygen and the pure severity of lust and feeling pouring through him. He reached down, readjusting himself, moving his dick from the tight confines of the zipper. Now, he could think a little straighter. Remembering that he dropped his bag by the door, Tony held up a finger, a soft grin playing across his lips. "Give me a second." 

Tony moved quickly, slipping out of his boots, undoing his belt and button, and grabbing the supplies all in one go. He made it back to the bed in record time. Grabbing Clay's arms, he helped the boy to sit up. His fingers gripped the edge of his boyfriend's shirt, tugging until it was up and over Clay's head. Clay did the same for him, pulling it up until his sitting position no longer allowing him to reach. Tony stripped it off the rest of the way. 

The smaller boy pressed his weight forward, practically climbing on top of Clay until he laid back. Tony fit himself nicely in the v the other's splayed thighs made, erections once again fitting together nicely. He pressed their lips together then, being egged on by the breathy pants leaving Clay's lips, small moans escaping, too. Tony set the same gentle rhythm with his hips, grinding denim covered dicks together with delicious friction. 

A few minutes later, Clay pulled back, reaching in between them. "I think we're both wearing way too many clothes," Clay mumbled, dilated pupils making his eyes shine so bright. Tony could do nothing but nod. He pulled up, letting Clay fumble with his zipper before he got up, feet on the floor as he wiggled out of his jeans. He took it one step further by stepping out of his boxers, too. 

Greedy fingers worked on Clay's lower half, popping open the top button, then the ones leading down his fly, finally getting them loose enough to pull down. Clay eagerly picked up his hips, Tony tugging on both denim and underwear as he pulled them down the length of his legs. When Tony slotted himself against Clay this time, they were completely naked, miles of skin pressed tightly together. 

Tony easily found the same rhythm, now, with nothing blocking the sickly sweet slide of bare dick on dick. His balls pulled up with the tease of it. Their lips found each other again, the pace of their kiss matching the movement of their hips below. 

Finally, Tony couldn't stand it any longer. He needed to taste the rest of Clay or he'd finished before things ever got started. His hands started the trail, followed closely by his lips. Every piece of Clay's chest he could reach, Tony swiped with his tongue, then kissed with his lips-- silently claiming each part of the boy as his. By the time he made it between Clay's legs, the boy was panting, soft whines heard from above him. 

Tony fumbled by Clay's thigh for the lube he set there earlier. Flicking the cap open, he looked up at his boyfriend, smirking gently. "This might be cold," he said before pouring a pool of it on the flat of Clay's stomach. Dipping two of his fingers into it, Tony urged Clay to spread his legs a little wider. Cool coated fingers slipped between the crests of Clay's ass cheeks, finding and toying with his entrance with ease. They'd never done anything like this, so he wanted to start gently. 

By the time he was slipping the first fingertip inside the other, Clay was panting, little pleases slipping from his lips, the words seemingly out of his control completely. Little by little, Tony slipped his finger in, marveling at the quick way Clay relaxed and let him in. 

"Dios mio," Tony whispered, the promise of Clay's tight heat around him making his entire body shudder. He experimentally thrust in, grinning when Clay groaned, his muscles clenching to pull him in again. 

The next two fingers went much the same, Clay opening up inch by inch the more time Tony spent on him. His own erection throbbed between his legs, the boy reaching down with his free hand to stroke every now and again, gaining the smallest amount of relief. 

Suddenly, Clay was reaching down, fingers searching. Tony peaked his head up, brows arched. "Just do it already, please. I want you so much, Tony," Clay babbled, his head moving from side to side erratically. 

Not needing to be told twice, Tony reached around for the condom with his free hand, pulling fingers from Clay gently. Biting the corner, Tony rolled the protection over the length of his dick, groaning at the contact.

Scooping up the little bit of the lube still pooled on Clay's stomach, Tony got the rubber coated with the slick. Then, he was suddenly on his back, Clay straddling his legs. The boy's cock was a deep shade of red, bordering on purple. He'd need a couple strokes across the sensitive skin and Tony knew he'd be keeling with pleasure. Instead, his boyfriend gripped his cock in his hand, hovering over it. 

Tony grabbed Clay's hips, squeezing the skin there. "Are you sure?" he mumbled, his brain trying to keep this slow, but his cock yelling, wanting nothing more than friction. Clay merely nodded, his voice lost twenty minutes ago when they first laid on the bed. Tony nodded, too, closing his eyes as Clay settled over him. Bit by bit, the tight heat of Clay surrounded him, every single movement sending him closer and closer to the edge. There'd be fingertip shaped bruises on Clay's hips when they were done with this. 

Before the other started moving, Tony gripped Clay's cheeks in his hand. He moved up, meeting the other half way as he used his leverage to pull Clay down to meet him. "I fucking love you," Tony mumbled, pulling back with a nuzzle against Clay's nose. 

"I love you, Tony." Clay barely managed to get out before he rose up, the movement slow and experimental. When he dropped back down, Tony couldn't decipher who's moan belonged to who. A chorus of groans sounded around the room. Clay looked at him wildly then, his mouth open in a silent ecstasy. 

Though it didn't end up lasting long, both boys shouted the other's name, the final note in the symphony about as perfect as it gets. 

After coming down from their highs, Tony moved them both until they were under the covers. Tony wrapped himself possessively around Clay, pressing soft kisses to whatever skin he could reach. 

Clay turned his head, a dopey ass grin on his face.

"Totally worth beating your ass in laser tag," Clay mumbled, leaning to press his lips against Tony's. 

"Totally worth letting you win," Tony said in return, pulling Clay closer when the boy turned to protest. 

"Quiet, Corazon. Just enjoy it," Tony said, cutting him off. 

"Just enjoy it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's always nice to get to the smut and have a whole chapter revolving around it. Next up is some more plot furthering, so I hope you enjoy the gratuitous Clony loving. Any ideas or prompts you might wanna see, leave them below. As always, thanks for the read!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony gets made fun of and a double date is planned. Monty makes a little appearance, too.

Waking up a couple days after their first time having sex, Clay still felt like he was floating on cloud nine. Every time he moved, Clay could still feel the evidence of their coming together. Aside from the subtle soreness and fingertip shaped bruises on his hips, there wasn’t anything physical left for him to remember the life changing thing. His memories were vivid, however. He could still feel the ghost of Tony’s fingers running along his skin. His skin seemed changed now that Tony marked every piece of it. Touches created more sensation, the simple brush of Tony’s finger against his own now sending impulse after impulse through his nerve fibers. People talked about their first time changing them monumentally, whether it was good or bad. Clay never bought into it before, but having experienced his entire world titling onto a different axis, the boy knew that maybe there was merit behind that saying after all. He’d never be the same. Being with Tony that way changed him, and if the feelings flitting through him were to be believed—the change was for the better. 

Long legs carried Clay to the bathroom. He’d gotten up a lot earlier than normal, so he figured he could use all of the hot water for a change. As he stepped out of his clothes, Clay made himself look at every new piece of skin exposed in the mirror. A smile pulled at his lips when he noticed for the first time the barely there hickies on the skin around his pecs. Blue eyes then traveled down his torso, pupils noticeably dilating when they landed on the bruises sitting on his hips. He could still feel Tony’s fingers digging into him as he rose and fell in a crazy sort of rhythm. The closer the two got to the edge, the tighter Tony gripped. They would be around for a while, he imagined, the color dark—showing no signs of healing any time soon. Stepping out of his pants and boxer briefs, Clay could see that even his dick was changed. Excitement came and went, controlled completely by Tony—Clay’s thoughts about him, the boy’s actions… everything Tony. His entire being belonged to the shorter guy—something he’d known for a long while, but hadn’t truly felt until Saturday night. His cheeks carried a permanent flush now, even worse than when they first started dating. He’d never hear the end of it—not from Hannah or his boyfriend himself. 

Clay took his time in the shower, happy to feel the water dripping down his back, soothing his still aching muscles. With the newfound sense of control and knowledge of himself, Clay enjoyed the simpler things more. Showers were soaked up, the boy taking longer in them then he ever had. Sleeping was appreciated for every minute of it that he got. He’d been sleeping sounder since starting to date Tony. It only getting better after their encounter and the shift in Clay. Sucking in a deep breath, Clay pulled back the curtain, glad to be starting out another day where he could experience life for what it was—and see Tony, of course. 

He kept his footsteps quiet as he headed back to his room. Toweling off, Clay moved to his bedside table, grabbing his phone with every intention of texting Tony something corny to start their morning off. Instead, there were a couple texts from Hannah. Clay grinned, comforted to know that the girl seemed to be doing so much better. The threesome’s friendship sat high in all their hearts, but Hannah benefitted from it the most. Since they’d been hanging out together, Clay noticed the change in her happiness level. There were more smiles and sarcastic remarks. The two shared inside jokes making fun of Tony, of which Clay would never admit to the boy. Hannah seemed much more Hannah like than she’d been in a while. The warm feeling he got whenever he thought of that contributed to the depth of Clay’s happiness. Hannah meant something to him, she always had. 

Hannah: Is it weird that I’ve been waiting impatiently for Jeff to text me back all morning?  
Hannah: I mean, my goddamn palms are sweating, Helmet!

Clay couldn’t stop the laugh that slipped from deep within his chest. He’d never experienced this sort of thing before. His feelings for Tony hit him in the face like a truck. By then, doing something was the only thing Clay could think to do. In all his years, he never had a friend that talked to him about this sort of thing. Jeff, the guy in question, was usually the one giving him advice. Looking at the screen again, Clay thought hard about how to respond, wanting to be there for her—but totally clueless. 

Clay: No. That can’t possibly be weird. I get that way with Tony.   
Clay: Just, y’know, calm down.   
Clay: It’s just Jeff.   
Clay: He’s probably finishing of the Fruit Loop box for breakfast. He’ll text you back. 

Nodding, Clay felt satisfied with that. He knew sweaty palms and nervousness—Tony brought that out of him whenever he thought about the other boy. Clay even knew what it was like to be anxious, waiting to hear from someone. Not being good at talking to anyone his entire life, Clay was the most familiar with that. 

The way Jeff looked at Hannah whenever the four of them were together, well, that told him she didn’t really need to worry, anyway. They’d been friends for the better part of a year and he knew the signs of a Jeff crush. They’d talked many times throughout their tutoring sessions about girls. Though it was usually Jeff trying to help him with whatever Hannah debacle, Clay sometimes listened to the boy talk about Sherri, or the girl he dated before her. There were obvious things that Jeff couldn’t help when feelings came into play—obvious things he’d seen when the jock interacted with Hannah. Hearing his phone chime again, Clay grinned, happy to be dealing with this—happy to have friends that relied on him enough for him to deal with it in the first place. 

Hannah: You’re right.   
Hannah: Thanks, Clay. 

Another came in while he was reading, this one making his chest convulse with laughter. 

Hannah: …. the whole box?

Clay: The whole box. Think on that. :P 

Clay put his phone back on the dresser. His patented jeans and hoodie wouldn’t put themselves on—and Tony would be there within the next few minutes. 

\--- 

Later in the day, Clay found himself sitting at the lunch table, enjoying his sandwich and the attention of Tony. His boyfriend ran his hand up and down the inside of his thigh, Clay shuddering every time tan fingers brushed the seam of his jeans—the fabric making his skin prickle ever so slightly. The movement was distracting. Blue eyes were finding it harder and harder to focus on Hannah and Jeff talking to him across the table. Turning his head, he saw Tony smirk, his own lips pulled into a tight little half smile. “You’re driving me crazy,” Clay mumbled, his voice just barely above a whisper. Out of all the places to get teased mercilessly, school had to be the worst one. Tony only smirked further, his lips pulled into an expression that Clay wanted so much to kiss off his face. “I know,” Tony whispered back a second later. His hand stopped, however, fingers instead digging in, gripping the muscle there. 

Looking up, Clay came face to face with two pairs of eyes staring at him, both Hannah and Jeff trying hard not to laugh. Clay figured his face was red and if Tony’s ever increasing smirk said anything, it was that there was some sort of look on his face—one worth laughing at. “What?” he asked, the innocence in his voice finally breaking the spell. All three of the people around him stared to laugh, the sound bouncing off the table, back into his ears in a magnified way. They all looked so unbelievably happy—the laughter making their faces relax. Clay couldn’t help but join in, glad to have made so many people just a little happier at his own expense. 

Hannah stopped first. She brought her finger to her eye, wiping away the trace of a tear with the pad of it. Her chest wrecked with laughs that still wanted to escape as she took a couple deep breaths. “You just looked like you were on another planet. Tony-World, or something,” Hannah said after getting herself a little more under control. “It’s disgustingly adorable, Helmet.” She reached over then, grabbing his hand. Giving it a squeeze, the two shared a smile before she pulled back, settling into the chair as close to Jeff as she could possibly get—without making it obvious, of course. 

“Tony-World. I kind of like that,” Tony piped up, the hand on Clay’s thigh giving him a squeeze. “I bet I could make little miniature dolls of myself. Give them all little leather jackets and the swoop. That’d probably be a big seller,” his boyfriend continued. Clay could see the gears turning, could imagine just how much Tony would think about this for the rest of the day. Tomorrow, he’d have texts with detailed plans for the imaginary world. Tony’s imagination was one of the things Clay liked the most about the boy.

“Those would sell like hot cakes, my dude. Everyone is looking for a cute little pet like you, Padilla,” Jeff chimed in. Hannah turned to him, her mouth opened with an unshed laugh. The girl’s hand came up, fingers curling until they formed a fist. Jeff looked at her for a second before doing the same, bumping her fist back. “Welcome to the group, sir. The only requirement is to make fun of Tony as much and as often as possible,” Hannah remarked when they pulled away. This time, it was Clay’s turn to laugh. He joined the other two, nodding his head eagerly. “As much and as often as possible,” Clay repeated. The hand on his thigh squeezed again, Tony taking everything about this in stride. He’d spent enough time around Clay and Hannah to be used to the taunting by now.

“Yeah, yeah. One day. One day I’ll get you all back,” Tony mumbled, grabbing his sandwich and taking an aggressive bite. “One day.” Clay wrapped an arm around the shorter boy, pulling him into his chest. “It’s too easy, Padilla.” His lips found Tony’s forehead, the boy rolling his eyes, but leaning into the touch, anyway. 

Things quieted down for the group for the rest of lunch. Jeff and Hannah spent the time talking back and forth with each other—a soft blush taking over both their cheeks. The jock sat a little straighter a couple minutes before the bell rang, clearing his throat. “So,” Jeff started, coughing with what Clay assumed were nerves. “What do you two say to a double date this evening? Tonight is two for one games at the bowling alley and I’ve heard that Clay is disturbingly terrible, so I’ve gotta see that in person.” Clay gasped at the words, the sound quickly moving into a chuckle. Tony knocked their shoulders together, both in acknowledgement of the truth of what Jeff said and his want to go. The two shared a look, blue and brown meeting to talk without saying anything at all. “We’d say that we’re absolutely in. Beating Clay is my number one mission,” Tony said, grinning at his boyfriend all the while. 

The moment was interrupted after that, the bell for fifth period ringing loudly. A collective eye roll happened around the table, each sighing as they got up, collecting whatever trash they had. Hannah made a particularly loud noise before coming around the table, fitting herself between Clay and Tony—her short arms wrapping around their shoulders. “Thanks, fellas,” she said, pulling them close for a second before letting go, walking quickly to get ahead of them. Clay didn’t need to look at Tony to know the boy got what they were being thanked for. So many times over the passed year, Hannah got hung out to dry by the people around here. The girl was finally taking the things she wanted into her hands—and their help was moving that along nicely. 

\--- 

At last, the bell to end the day rang. Clay got up from his desk as quickly as he could, eager to be in the cab of Tony’s Mustang, the smell of leather sitting in his nostrils. His legs carried him towards Tony’s locker, Clay navigating the halls like the loner pro that he’d always been. No one bothered him, no one even cared to look up when he passed. Thankfully, that hadn’t changed, regardless of the Monty situation. 

Though, fate seemed to be playing with him. By the time he made it to the hall where Tony’s locker was, Clay was not the only one there with a purpose. Monty, the boy looking haggard and a bit worse for wear, stood there, looking at him menacingly. The jock took a step towards him, stopping when Clay took a step back. Blue eyes glanced around nervously, the boy hoping Tony would magically appear. Instead, the hall seemed to be deserted, everyone either having left already or moving slow, not having gotten there yet. Clay sucked in a breath, knowing that he was on his own for this one. His feet widened, as if preparing himself to fight, or at least protect himself. 

“Jensen. I uh--,” the jock started, actually looking sheepish, not intimidating at all. “I just wanted to say sorry. What I said—super shitty. I’m uh—I’m sorry.” Monty managed to stammer all of that out before actually looking Clay’s direction. When their eyes met, Clay could see the remorse there, even if it was just a means to an end. A second passed before Clay nodded, shrugging his shoulders in a ‘no big’ gesture. “Thanks, man. For what it’s worth, I appreciate it.” Clay replied, still on guard, yet, able to relax his posture. If this were an attack, something would’ve happened already. Monty didn’t say anything else. He merely nodded, hesitating for a second before giving Clay a wide berth as he walked down the hallway. Clay turned to watch, noticing Tony rounding the corner. His boyfriend shot Monty a warning look before his eyes shot to Clay. The protective side of Tony never ceased to turn him on and make him feel so fucking loved. Clay shook his head, gesturing with his head for the boy to join him, instead. 

When Tony brushed passed the jock, Monty looked down at his feet, avoiding eye contact as much as possible. The shorter boy closed the distance between them more quickly then, Tony obviously eager to be next to Clay, to make sure nothing happened. “What was that?” Tony asked him, a protective arm wrapping around Clay’s hip. Clay merely relaxed into it, happy to be out of that situation, happy that nothing happened to cause Tony anymore grief—happy to finally fucking be free to move on and act however he wanted. Without the threat of Monty and the gross words he’d been slinging, Clay hoped Tony would calm down. There could finally be some peace for the couple to grow and flourish. 

“He apologized. That was it. He said sorry.” Clay answered, shrugging his shoulders, relaxing more into the comfort of Tony’s arm around him. There was a bit of silence for a couple moments. Tony needed the time to understand what happened, and Clay gave it to him. When the boy finally came around, he felt some tension leave him. Though the hand around him tightened, muscles weren’t as bunched, Tony wasn’t as coiled to strike as he’d been over the passed few weeks. 

“About time,” Tony murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of Clay’s head. Tony pulled away then, taking the last couple steps to his locker. Nimble fingers undid the lock, quickly working to open the door. With everything stuffed inside a moment later, Tony was turning to Clay, holding a hand out. “Lets get the fuck out of here, huh?” As he spoke, Clay reached over and grabbed Tony’s hand, knitting their fingers together. This would be the first time they actually held hands with each other on school campus since getting together. Tony shot him a look, his calloused fingers squeezing Clay’s. The look was searching, asking if what they were doing was okay—making sure Clay was as comfortable as he could possibly be. Clay beamed, knowing that Tony cared about the little things; Clay’s comfort, the way he felt about what they were doing—the little things that no one really took the time to notice. Nodding his head once, Clay squeezed Tony’s fingers back, his smile only widening. 

Walking out the door together, Clay felt liberated. Though he wasn’t quiet about the fact that he and Tony were dating, actually acknowledging it publicly felt a whole lot different. They would never be able to outright express affection—both because they weren’t those types of people, and mouths flew, especially around their school. Being with Tony was easy, even like this, so damn publicly; and Clay wanted to keep it that way. This, expressing just a little bit of the affection between them, it had to be okay. He wanted nothing more than for this to be okay. 

They passed a few people on their trek to the Mustang. Hannah and Jeff were hanging around his car, both nodding as they passed. “See you cuties later!” she called after them, whistling suggestively for a second before pulling back, a beaming smile on her face. As quickly as her attention was pulled to them, Hannah was back looking dopey eyed at Jeff, the two talking back and forth with each other like nothing was ever interrupted. Clay shook his head, using their joined hands to pull Tony a little closer. “They’re kind of grossly cute, too, don’t you think?” Clay whispered, resting his chin on Tony’s shoulder as they walked. Tony was quiet for a moment, Clay watching as a few emotions played across his face. Clay knew Hannah meant as much to Tony as she did to him. Their relationship was only growing now that they were working together. They reached the Mustang before Tony finally responded, the boy leaning forward to press his lips to Clay’s temple before speaking. “I’m just glad she’s happy. I was… scared. For a little while there,” the shorter boy admitted, shrugging at the end—trying his hardest to be nonchalant about it. 

Not even caring that they were in the middle of the school parking lot, Clay pulled Tony in for a hug, long arms squeezing the other tightly, reassuring as much as he could. “Yeah, me too. It’s all good, though, isn’t it? You’ll kick Jeff’s ass if he’s terrible to her, anyway,” Clay replied, pulling away. Tony let out a little laugh, shaking his head. “You beat up one person,” he mumbled, rolling his eyes. 

Clay took a step back when Tony moved to open the door. His boyfriend waited until he was settled in the seat before leaning down. Tony pressed their lips together soundly, lingering for a moment longer than usual. When he pulled away, it was slow, a tan nose brushing against his. “Te amo, Clay. Mucho,” Tony whispered, grinning when Clay’s hands reached up to cup his face. 

“Te amo, Tony. Very mucho.” Clay enunciated the words by sealing their lips together again. “Now, get your ass in the car. My parents won’t be home until 6. There's an empty house calling our name.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys don't mind me throwing Hannah and Jeff together. Since I'm changing everything about the timeline, I figured this would be cool, too. I love Jeff and his friendship with Clay. So, I wanted that reflected and what better way to keep him in the story by putting him with such a lovely lady. If you guys want to see anything fit in to the next chapters, let me know. I like incorporating what you guys want to see. As always, thanks for the read!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's double date time. Jeff and Hannah are super cute, just a heads up.

The squeaking of the mattress below them kept Tony right on the edge. His ears were primed and ready for the noise of a door opening, or the dreaded sound of Clay's mom's voice. Their love making started the second the two walked in the door. Both boys stood in the kitchen, heating up a snack, kissing and touching, teasing in a light sort of way. That continued until Clay was the one to break. His long fingers wrapped themselves around the open pieces of his shirt, pushing his smaller frame into the wall. That singular move started their trek up the stairs, buttons being undone, shoes kicked off.

Which lead them to where they were now, Clay on his hands and knees, moaning with the utmost pleasure, Tony behind him, trying to hide those very same noises. So many horror stories of his brothers being walked in on kept the slightest bit of panic sitting in his belly, keeping the heat from erupting for just a little bit long.

He didn't take into account the subtle squeeze of Clay's ass around him, however. Every forward thrust, Clay would clench around him, the boy obviously trying to get as much of Tony's length as possible. His handle on what little control he'd mustered was quickly unwinding, the noises trapped in his throat shooting from his mouth. Clay's head turned, blue eyes wide as his boyfriend looked at him. A sexy smirk slipped across kiss swollen lips and he matched Tony's volume. The concept of control slipped from Tony's mind completely then, his hips slamming forward and all thoughts of the squeaking bed gone. The slap of skin on skin could be heard throughout the room, probably into the hall of the otherwise silent house.

"Ah, Clay. Fuck!" Tony moaned, finishing with one last thrust. He kept his hips flush against Clay's, letting ecstasy wash over him completely. A similar sounding "Tony!" was heard vaguely through the fog of his orgasm. Clay sagged under him and Tony happily complied, his entire body collapsing on the boy's side. Tony rolled them until they were on their sides, his right arm under Clay's head, his love tucked against his chest. He glided his lips up the skin of Clay's neck, using it as a distraction as he pulled out. A soft whimper at the lose could be heard from the both of them, each boy counting down the seconds until they made that connection again.

Tony relaxed, muscles glad to be unclenched and in a resting state. Calloused fingers of his left hand trailed up the sweat sticky skin on Clay's side, little goose flesh following in his wake. Clay's eyes were closed, his face slack with bliss. He would've thought the boy was asleep if it weren't for the pants still wracking his chest. They lay there in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the fact that they could do this- just be together.

"You're kind of an animal, Jensen," Tony finally said, breaking the silence. His boyfriend's chest heaved in a different way, the delightful sound of a laugh leaving his lips. "What can I say? You just bring it out of me," Clay mumbled in reply, this sedated boy so different than the one pushing him into the wall and devouring his mouth. Both sides of the Clay coin, both sides amazing in their own way. Tony sighed, a happy pass of breath out his lungs as he nestled into the back of Clay's neck. His nose brushed the other's skin, playing back and forth across it. Clay let little sighs slip, the sounds only egging Tony on. They didn't have enough time to go again; both because of their date in the next little bit and the arrival of Clay's parents. It didn't mean they had to completely shut down the intimacy between them. He could ignore the hardness starting to once again develop between his legs in favor of this, holding Clay closely in his arms.

Tony stopped his movements when Clay started to roll his hips back, however. He gave the boy another squeeze before getting up, pulling the now soggy rubber away from himself to dispose of. He hopped from the bed, grabbing his boxers, stepping into the legs one at a time. Brown eyes looked up only after he was covered, not wanting to be distracted by Clay in his naked state while still being that way as well. Clay had a cute little pout on his face, brows crinkling in the gap between them. "Pretty unfair. Clothes and you should not be a thing that go together. Naked Tony all the time," Clay mumbled through a yawn, his mouth growing wider with each word. Tony rolled his eyes, reaching down to grab Clay's boxers, launching them over at the boy the second he picked them up. The pout stayed on his boyfriend's face, despite the boy sitting up and tugging them on.

"You know having me naked all the time would be distracting. Not only would my ass be on display for you, but for everyone else, too. Think of the stares. Think of the jealousy," Tony replied, taking the few steps to cut the space between them, his arm wrapping around Clay's shoulders. Bringing him in, Tony pressed their lips together lightly. "One day, we can instate a no clothes in the house rule. Just be patient," Tony's voice was soft, all semblance of joking gone. The thought of a future together... completely overwhelming. When he pulled away, Clay looked at him, his face relaxed, beaming with what Tony figured to be love. "I guess I can wait. But I want that in writing." Clay leaned in this time, stealing another chaste kiss.

Tony moved away completely then. They still had a little while until they needed to leave, but the need to separate was there, palpable. He pulled his t-shirt back over his head and took a seat in the chair at Clay's desk, turning it so he could still see the other boy.

"So," Tony started, a soft little smile slipping across his face. They hadn't taken any time to talk about the Jeff and Hannah stuff. Tony knew Clay probably had a much better insight on it than himself, his boyfriend better friends with both of the people of the couple in question. "Jeff and Hannah. It's good, right?" He posed the question, wondering why he felt the need to protect the girl so much. Thinking back to their conversation in his garage, he remembered the way the air changed when she asked her question. He could feel something indescribable in the air, the thickness of it scaring the shit out of him. The need to see her happy and successful was something he couldn't get out of his head. Something said he needed to be there for her, in whatever way he could muster.

Clay quirked a brow, smiling a soft little smile of his own. "Jeff and Hannah is really good, I think. I've spent enough time with Jeff to know he's a good human. I'm pretty sure everyone is just a little bit afraid of you, too, so he knows the risks and is still hanging around," Clay's voice was full of sarcasm as he said that, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "She looks happy. We both want that for her. Besides, the four of us together has been a blast so far," Clay finished. Tony brought a hand up, brushing the fingers of it through still gelled down hair. Clay was right. The rest of their night was going to be an absolute blast. He nodded to himself, looking over to Clay. "Cool. I meant what I said earlier, though. Beating you is my main mission."

Clay got up then, a mega watt grin taking over his face. "Care to make another wager, then?"

Tony beamed, letting his mask drop as he nodded. He thought about the results of the last bet, feeling heat rise in the pit of his belly with just that. If that were the result of the last one, how bad could this one be?

\---

The boys pulled up at the bowling alley about an hour later. After placing their bet and getting lost in kisses for a few more minutes, both Clay and Tony got up and focused, getting ready in record time. Tony wanted to do his hair over again, but quickly remembered how much Clay liked the curls, and talked himself out of it. They would've never made it on time, anyway.

Tony got out of his door and shot around to Clay's, opening it before the other could even blink. Clay looked up at him before getting out, a red tint on his cheeks as he shook his head. "And you say I'm something else," Clay said, brushing past him closely, teasing with the proximity. "It's a date. It's the gentleman thing to do, Clay. Opening your door, paying for your bowling shoes and extra cheesy nachos. Let me have my moment, Jensen," Tony retorted, pinching an ass cheek as he turned around, closing the door on the way.

Clay was the first to reach for Tony's hand, the boy tangling long lean fingers with Tony's calloused ones. Tony tilted his head, trying hard not to let his entire face erupt into a smile. Clay winked at him, giving their hands a quick squeeze. "It's a date, right?" Clay asked, using his own thing against him in the most clever of ways.

Finally getting inside, they spotted Jeff and Hannah immediately. Jeff was by far one of the taller guys in school, and the kid's haircut was pretty unmissable. Beside him, a curly haired Hannah Baker stood, a dress and combat boots similar to Tony's completing her outfit. She looked up, grinning at the boy's and their hand holding. "Helmet, Padilla. I've got cavities already," she said loudly, smiling wider when Clay looked around, wondering who else was around to hear about their saccharine sweetness. Tony shook his head, pulling Clay along until he could wrap his free arm around the girl, pulling her into his side. Watch yourself, Baker. We're not the only ones out on a date tonight," Tony whispered, pulling back and looking pointedly between her and Jeff. He wiggled his brows, laughing out loud at the look that passed across her face. She took a step away, flashing a look at Clay before clearing her throat. "Who's up for some bowling?"

Jeff immediately raised a hand, pointing with a thumb over his shoulder. "I know the guy, so I should be able to get our shoes for free. Give me a second and we can get settled on a lane." The jock looked at Hannah, a little smile on his face before he turned towards the counter, walking with quick strides towards it.

When Jeff was completely out of earshot, Hannah turned to them, her cheeks rosy and eyes just barely glazed over.

"Just tell me that he digs me as much as I dig him and that this is good and gonna be okay," she got out quickly, using either of her hands to grab both their arms. Tony and Clay shared a look, both of their faces softening. Tony reached down, wrapping her small hand in the confines of his own. "I don't know the guy well and even I can tell he's digging you. It's gonna be okay. Clay vouches for how good a dude he is and if he hurts you, well, you know what these fists can do," he squeezed her hand then, glad when he pulled back and the look on her face was no longer of panic and anxiety.

"Right, right. I already knew all of that. I just wanted someone else to say it, too. You're gems, boys. Beautiful gems," Hannah finally said, her face neutral now that most of the panic drifted away. She turned around, walking the same path Jeff did over to the boy.

Tony and Clay hung back, the shorter boy dropping Clay's hand to wrap an arm around his shoulder. "I like our friends," Tony mumbled, pressing a kiss against the side of Clay's head as he did.

A couple minutes later, Jeff and Hannah were striding back towards them, this time, their own hands clasped together tightly. Tony shot Jeff a look, the jock only showing signs of excitement and nothing else.

"We've got the last lane on the end for as long as we want it," Jeff spoke out, pointing. He handed each of them shoes, Tony wrinkling his nose. He loved to bowl. It was one of the only things his family could do together without too much of a fight breaking out. He just loathed the shoes. The mere thought of taking off his prized boots to stick his feet in the gross, overly used shoes made his skin crawl.

Tony peaked up to see Clay laughing, his thoughts obviously plastered all over his face. He shrugged, decking Clay's shoulder softly. "They're gross," he whispered, feeling the heat spread up his neck when Clay didn't respond, the boy only laughing harder. Tony rolled his eyes and quickened his step, following the couple in front of them closely. Clay eventually caught up, the laughter gone but the look of humor still prominent in his eyes. "I'm sorry. You're just too damn cute. You've gotta admit, it is pretty funny," Clay tried to reason, the boy slipping their hands together again.

Tony laced their fingers together, rolling his eyes again, resigned to the fact that Clay was totally right. "Alright, its funny. Just don't be grossed out if they're still warm when you put them on," Tony squeezed Clay's fingers. Enjoying every play of the appropriate amount of disgust pass across the boy's fast. "Gross. Thanks, Padilla." They were finally at the seats, so Clay dropped his hand, moving to one of the seats to sit down and do up his shoes.

Tony followed behind, apprehensive every second it took him to get his boots off and the shoes on his feet. Tony stuck his tongue out at Clay, who returned it. They both stood up, reading each other's minds as they moved towards the ball racks. "Should I ask for a kid's ball," Tony asked, amusement apparent in his voice. Clay reddened, his eyes narrowing. "Nope. I'm gonna get the biggest ball in here and toss it granny style." Clay winked, though he must've been serious. Tony watched him move to the end rack and grab what looked to be a ball 2 times too big for him. Clay shot him a look, a big smile on his face.

Tony left him to his own devices after that, shaking his head at the hilarity of it all. He found a ball perfect for him pretty quickly. Having short and stubby fingers came in handy. The balls with the bigger finger holes seemed to roll a little better, anyway. All four of them met back at the lane, a few minutes passing where they each got ready to see who was the least terrible at throwing a ball down a slippery lane.

Hannah went first. Her neon pink ball soared down the lane as straight as can be, hitting the head pin before knocking all the others down. Jeff jumped up at the same time Hannah did, the two looking at the other before busting out laughing. Hannah laid a high five down on Jeff's outstretched hand and Clay got up. He walked backwards to the ball corral, looking straight at Tony when he picked up the oversized ball.

Where Hannah was smooth, Clay waddled, the ball between his legs. He leaned over and pushed, all four of them watching it move down the lane straight, then lose its path and spin right into the gutter. Clay turned around and frowned, though the look he shot Tony was one of complete amusement.

Tony and Jeff followed like Hannah, both knocking over all the pins.

The game went that way until the last frame, Jeff coming in hot with a turkey to finish up and beat them all.

They took a break after that, both couples heading to the snack bar. While they stood in line, Jeff clapped Clay on the back, shaking his head. "I heard you were terrible, but I didn't know it was that bad. A lighter ball might help," Jeff said to him, a look of confusion running across his face when both he and Tony busted into a loud laugh. "No can do, Jeff. I'm out to embarrass this one as much as possible," Clay replied, poking behind him into Tony's side. The smaller boy ducked his head, trying to stop himself from laughing even more.

Tony, as per his request, paid for Clay's extra cheesy nachos. Both boys snacked on them, their fingers covered in the thick processed cheese by the end of the container. They sat at their own table giving the other couple a little bit of privacy. Throughout their pig out session, they shared conversation back and forth, Clay going on and on about the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie. They were going to see it in a couple days. Though, Clay knew so much about it already, it was like the kid saw it several times before. "Stop reading that spoiler shit. I just wanna go enjoy the music and that little plant guy. The only thing I've heard and paid attention to is that he's the cutest little thing to ever grace the planet," Tony said, stopping the little tyrant Clay'd been on, comparing comics and universes. Clay sucked in a breath, nodding his head. “You’re right, Tony. You’re right. His name is Groot, by the way,” Clay murmured, leaning in to slot their lips together. 

After they finished up their food, Clay and Tony got up from their table, planning on rejoining Hannah and Jeff. Once they saw them however, both boys knew their piece of this date was over. The jock had his arm around Hannah, the girl looking up at him with a look that only meant one thing. Jeff took the opening, leaning down to kiss her. Tony blinked a couple of times, then forced himself to move. He grabbed Clay’s hand, nodding towards the front door. He’d text her later, explaining they had something to do, or whatever he decided to come up with. Tony felt safe leaving the girl alone with Jeff. He felt confident that Hannah could handle herself and trusted Jeff enough to not be too concerned. 

Getting to the car, Clay stopped Tony. He used the same move as earlier, long fingers bunching in his shirt, but the push back against the car was gentler, this about affection, not passion like before. Blue eyes gleamed, connecting with warm brown in a way that tried to project as much feeling as they could. Tony’s cheeks heated, his entire body starting to fill with heat, too. His boyfriend leaned forward, not going for his lips, but his cheek. Clay’s nose brushed against the tan skin there, nuzzling. “You’re a really good guy, Tony Padilla. I’m lucky to have you,” Clay whispered against his cheek, Tony feeling the smile on Clay’s lips. “Lets go to casa Padilla. I have a hankering to watch your butt wiggle as you work on your car.” 

Tony didn’t respond. His arms wrapped around the boy’s waist, narrowing the gaping space between them. Clay looked at him and Tony used that to his advantage, surging forward so they were once again kissing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoy the four of them together so so much. Also, happiness for Hannah. I'm a huge advocate for that. I'm going to be jumping ahead in time a little bit in the next one. I wanna get them to the winter formal in the next couple of chapters. I'm working on people's plot requests, so if you've got any, just let me know. As always, thanks for the read!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's driving lessons and smoking hoods.

Ever since he and Tony started dating, time flew by, picking up speed more and more. September switched to October in the blink of an eye. The Crestmont switched from romantic classics to the gory horror Clay knew Tony enjoyed the absolute most. Their many nights of leaving Hannah at the counter by herself to sit in the back row still some of his favorite. Life was moving on, seemingly the closer he and Tony got, the faster it moved. They just celebrated Halloween and were quickly moving towards the big holiday events; including the winter formal. 

A couple nights before, the couple was at a Halloween party, tagging along with Hannah and Jeff. Clay heard most of the month about their costume from both the girl and the jock, yet the real thing was so much better than all the details they supplied him. Jeff looked like Slater, short sleeved shirt rolled up to mock perfection. And Hannah rocked the Lisa curls, her hair tucked into a neon green scrunchy to finish the entire thing. Most people looked at the couple dumbly when they talked about Saved By The Bell, but Clay appreciated the artistry of it. Both people in the couple looking relatively close to their counterparts. 

Surprisingly, Clay didn't have to talk Tony into dressing up. He'd been wracking his brain for weeks trying to come up with the most perfect costume his boyfriend wouldn't veto. When he eventually brought the idea up, Tony nodded immediately, glad to be modeling a character as dopey over cars as he was. The boy had to admit, Tony made a gorgeous Dean Winchester. His boyfriend rocked a different leather jacket, this one's lapels pulled up straight, framing his neck. The rest of his outfit came straight from Tony's closest, the only difference a slight tweak in his normal hair routine. Clay, however, invested some thrift store shopping time into his costume. Finding the old suit gave him the idea to dress up like the angel, the trench coat win on EBay only cinching the deal. 

Just before leaving for the night, Jeff asked Hannah to the winter formal, the girl bright eyed as she said yes with a flourish. Ever since their bowling alley kiss, the two were like peanut butter and jelly; a stellar combination. Clay watched with wide eyes, happy for his friend. It did, however, make him want to see Tony in that position, looking so happy to be the lucky one treated that way. Not for the first time, Clay wanted the freedom to pick Tony up for their dates, or to simply be the one driving them around for a change. Tony did so damn much for him, Clay, for once, wanted to return the favor. 

He'd given it a lot of thought since then, Clay pondering why he didn't have his license in the first place, why he didn't give himself that freedom. By the time he woke up a couple mornings after the party, Clay knew he wanted to learn how to drive and take the driving test. It was about time he took the next step into adulthood. He knew the perfect person to help him learn, too. He thought momentarily about asking his dad to help, to avoid any sort of stress between him and Tony, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Clay loved his parents, enjoyed who they were as people. However, the prospect of driving with them is probably what made him not learn in the first place. Tony was a saint about everything in their relationship, even Clay's ignorance about some things. This, Tony teaching him about the boy's favorite thing, it couldn't be any different. At least, that's what Clay hoped. 

\--- 

Bringing it up to Tony took a lot more courage than he originally thought it would. Clay knew how much his boyfriend loved his car, how often he worked on it, how important it was to him. The boy could say that about himself, too, though he didn't think about that in the days leading up to asking Tony. He also wanted to keep his plans for asking his boyfriend to the dance a secret. It was probably silly, asking the boy who proclaimed his love often for him to a dance they were for sure going to go together, anyway. He just- wanted to make the other feel the way Tony made him feel all the damn time; he wanted Tony to know just how special to Clay he truly was. 

When he finally got around to it, the two were on a date, sitting in the backseat of Tony's Mustang, sharing some food between them. Their car picnics became a thing about a month ago. They were idling in the Taco Bell drive thru after trying to get in at a restaurant. The two hour wait time had them immediately turning around, walking out of the door back out to the Mustang. After getting their food, Tony pulled into a spot, turned the keys until the car was off but they could still listened to music, and turned to him. "Restaurants are kinda overrated, anyway. Let's just hangout here. Taco Bell isn't the most glamorous place to be, but at least we're together," Tony shot him a sheepish smile, obviously hoping he didn't sound stupid pitching the idea. Clay merely grabbed the boy with both his hands, framing his cheeks between them. "It's the best idea there is. Our own music, actually being able to hear each other... perfect." 

Blinking back to the present, Clay appreciated his position in the backseat a little bit more. Thinking about the beginning of these dates also made him feel more determined to ask, to put his plan into action. 

Dropping his burger back onto the paper, Clay bumped his shoulder against Tony's. Brown eyes looked at him with irritation for a second, Tony having just taken a bite of the burger, smearing some of the sauce across the top of his lip with the contact. The fact that food was also something Tony respected wholeheartedly played into it, too. Though, they'd be dating long enough for Clay to be an exception to that rule... usually. "First we eat, remember?" Tony mumbled around the food in his mouth. "What's up, Carino?" the boy asked, finally swallowing his bite and more able to communicate. 

"I've been thinking," Clay started, leaning more of his weight against Tony, letting himself absorb the comfort of him. "I want to learn how to drive. I've been saving up all the money from the Crestmont, so when I get my license I can get something you can tune up to get me on the road." He stopped, turning until they were face to face. "Will you teach me?" The question was rushed, Clay blushing as the words left his mouth. Sometimes, his anxiety showed its sick little head, times just like this. He sucked in a couple breaths to calm himself, the technique working almost instantly. This was Tony. His Tony. 

Looking up, Clay noticed Tony's ear to ear smile, a sheen of excitement coating his eyes. His head nodded, eyes looking around the car in a 'duh' sort of gesture. "Are you kidding me? Hell yeah! You want to learn about cars. That's like my two favorite things finally existing in the exact space at the exact same time. When do you want to start?" Clay couldn't help the way his shoulders relaxed at Tony's answer. He still didn't quite understand why he felt as nervous as he did. Though, a lot had to do with his still kind of there fear of being behind the wheel of something with the potential to be so deadly. 

Clay let out another breath, a laugh coming out with it. He made a much bigger deal out of something that didn't need it. "Tomorrow? I want to go and take my test sometime next weekend," Clay responded, his own dose of excitement starting to seep into the words. Tony wrapped an arm around his shoulders, their food be damned. The boy pulled him closer, turning his head to place a soft kiss against Clay's cheek. "It'll be fun. Thanks for asking me." Tony smiled wider, his entire being buzzing for the rest of the night. 

\--- 

Clay waited impatiently by the door the next day. His nerves to get behind the wheel were back in full force, all the reasons he didn't drive to begin with rearing their ugly heads. When the rumble of the Mustang approached, Clay felt himself relax. Perhaps the reason for learning how to drive could overrun all the reasons not to. It didn't hurt, either, the fact that Tony automatically made him feel better. The true test would be if he ever got behind the wheel by himself. "I'm going out with Tony," Clay called over his shoulder. Both his parents acknowledged him, though neither said a word. Just the way I like it, he thought. 

A smile filled his face the moment he stepped out the door and saw the red Mustang parked against the curb. A few short steps and he'd be able to see Tony, too. As per usual, his boyfriend was ducked down, leaning so he could see out the open passenger window. The two locked eyes when Clay was within view, brown melting into blue. Tony waved his hand, grinning like he'd just won the lottery. Opening the door a second or two later, Clay slid into the car, getting comfortable before turning, meeting an antsy Tony for a kiss. His boyfriend stayed in that position for a couple minutes, until they were forced to pull away to breathe. "Hello to you, too," Clay said in a way of greeting. He let the boy put the car in drive before reaching across, slipping their fingers together on the top of Tony's thigh. 

"So, where are we headed?" Clay asked a couple minutes into the drive. Since pulling away from Clay's house, they'd be jamming to the music, both enjoying just being in the other's company. Tony dropped his hand, calloused fingers flipping the volume knob down a couple turns so they could talk more freely. "My pop's garage. There's a big parking lot in the back where you can drive around and around and not ever get close to hitting anything. I believe in you, though. You're probably a naturally," Tony retaking his hand as he said this, fingers squeezing Clay's in reassurance. "It'll be fine, Corazon." 

Clay was able to shoot a smile at Tony and his kind words, but his stomach still bubbled. Pulling into the described parking lot a few minutes later, Clay felt the nerves start to creep back. Tony put the Mustang in park, climbing out before Clay could think to say anything. The door opening finally had him moving. Tony shot him another smile, the guy trying for helpful and understanding. It meant the world to Clay, truly. He just couldn't show it, not with stomach acid rolling up, threatening to make its way outside his body. 

Long legs were shaky when they touched the ground. The beginning of an anxiety attack started to take hold. A hand on his forearm stopped it in its tracks. The grip was tight, demanding his attention, yet soft, supplying comfort and love. "We can do this another day, babe," Tony said softly, his eyes open and vulnerable, his boyfriend's way of being sincere. "That test will be there waiting whenever you're ready." 

Clay leaned into the touch, letting the tendrils of Tony, Tony, Tony slide through his veins until he felt himself give into it, relaxing bit by bit. He shook his head then, jaw firmly set, eyes focused. "I want to. I'm just nervous. Death traps. That's all I think about when I thinking about getting behind the wheel." Clay shuddered, closing his eyes tightly. 

When he blinked his eyes open, Clay saw Tony moving toward him. The same hand on his forearm grabbed his hand, pulling him around the car until they were standing by the driver's side door. "Let's try something, okay? Climb in and get buckled up," Tony spoke confidently, like the professional that he was. Clay did just that, getting into the seat and pulling the belt across his chest. He immediately felt a bit more secure, glad to be strapped in despite not moving. Shutting the door, Tony leaned into him, his nose brushing against the shell of his ear.

"Put your hands on the wheel," Clay heard him whisper, the boy moving on autopilot, long, pale fingers gripped the steering wheel. "Now feel the leather of it under your hands. It's just like the seat you sit in. You just have to be comfortable with it. The slightest turn, you'll go that direction. The control, it's all in your hands. Now put your foot on the bigger pedal." Clay did what Tony's voice told him to do, his foot creeping slowly towards the pedal. "That's your break. Give it a little push. You control how hard you break by the force you put against it. You want to stop gradually, press it gradually. You need to stop suddenly, apply more pressure. It's just a big hunk of metal, but you're the driver. You get to be the one making it run." 

Finally, Tony pulled back. Clay could once again breathe, his entire being reacting so damn strongly to Tony it was almost distracting. He did feel more comfortable, though. He felt melted to the seat and the sensual familiarization with the vehicle made it more personable and less... scary. "I'm gonna get in the passenger seat. Let's see what you can do," Tony got out, excitement and his own nerves written so plainly on his face. Clay closed his eyes, sucking in long deep breaths until he heard the leather creaking under Tony's weight. 

"Alright, first things first. You're gonna want to adjust your rear view mirror," he said, pointing to the mirror on the middle of the windshield. "I'm shorter than you, so you'll move it up. You want to be able to see out the back window." Tony pointed behind him. A pale hand adjusted the mirror easily, remembering at least that from driver's ed. He did the same for the side mirrors, too. Tony nodded along, seemingly happy that Clay was starting to find some comfort in the process. 

"Now, apply some pressure to the break and pull the shift back into drive, but keep your foot on the break while you're doing it." The boy mimicked the actions as Tony talked, pushing down into the bigger pedal, keeping his foot down against it while he shifted into drive. Tony gripped his thigh then, patting an upbeat rhythm against it. "Nice. Now the fun stuff. Lift your foot off the break and hit the gas... gently. Let's roll forward slowly for a few feet and then we'll try going a little faster." 

Brown eyes watched, Tony soaking up the whole situation. His boyfriend was genuinely have fun sharing this with Clay. Gulping, long fingers gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, Clay picking his foot up at a turtle pace. The car rocked forward just slightly, blue eyes widening. That jump started the excitement for him. He moved his foot to the gas and pressed lightly at first, then with more pressure. When the car moved forward a little faster, Clay let out a whoop. The hand on his thigh squeezed, Tony just as excited.

They were quickly running out of straight road in front of them. Clay tightened his fingers again, a bit of nerves returning. "Take a deep breath, baby," Tony mumbled, noticing the change in the air. "We're gonna go left, so just turn the wheel in that direction. When you're doing it, lighten your foot on the gas," Tony watched closely as he spoke, directing. "If you've feel like you gotta break, don't do it suddenly." Clay nodded, following the instructions to a t. 

Soon, the car was moving smoothly around the parking lot. Clay hit the breaks unnecessarily more often than he needed to, but he could feel himself slowly getting the hang of it. 

Just as Clay was starting to actually enjoy himself, the hood started to smoke. Clay looked at Tony, panic rising in his chest. "It's cool. I thought I found the problem, but I guess not. Just hit the breaks, ease it to a stop and then put her into park." Tony spoke calmly, his eyes more focused on the smoke rising from the car than anything else. Clay took a long breath then did what Tony told him, relaxing back into the seat when the car came to a complete stop. He put the keys in Tony's hand, feeling even more at ease. His boyfriend swore, shaking his head in a defeated sort of gesture. "Sorry, Clay. You were starting to look like you weren't completely hating it." Tony frowned for a second, then leaned forward to nuzzle Clay's cheek. 

The boy didn't give him time to respond, Tony out of the car within the next second. Clay heard the trunk being unlocked. Tony must've been grabbing the tool box he kept there. A few seconds later, blue eyes trailed the boy, his look softening at the agitation in the other's posture. Tony loved to fix, and gladly did it every time the car needed it, but always took it hard when his initial idea wasn't quite right. Clay loved that about him. Passion ran so deeply in the shorter guy, the emotion spilling into everything he cared about. 

Clay hopped out of the car, leaning against the side to watch his boyfriend work. He didn't know jack shit about cars or being a mechanic. He knew, though, what Tony working on an engine looked like, how his carburetor grimace wrinkled his forehead. He'd watched his boyfriend work enough to know the boy and the car's dance, it as intimate as their own. "I didn't mean to speed racer your car into disarray," Clay joked, grinning when he heard a snort from under the hood. "There's a belt that needs to be changed. I just patched it up to see if I could get away with not changing it," Tony murmured, working steadily, hands in their natural habitat. "I'll be able to do that again. But, I'm gonna have to change it so we don't break down like this again." The shorter boy stopped then, the only sound for a couple minutes the tools clanking against metal, work being done. 

"I can watch you do that and hand you the wrong tool to not help. Then we can come out here again, maybe try the road, too." Clay gulped as the words fell from his mouth. He was starting to enjoy the slow pace around the parking lot, but nerves were still nerves. They wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. 

Stepping away from the front, Tony pulled a bandana from his pocket, wiping his fingers of as much of the grease as possible. "What's your hurry?" Tony asked, brow quirked with concerned curiosity. "I thought you'd be riding your bike around into adulthood, man." Though the words were funny, Clay knew the truth to them. His tolerance to change wasn't very high, despite the many steps he'd taken over the passed few months. This being as big as it was, Clay couldn't be surprised by Tony's curiosity. The boy really did know him so fucking well. 

Clay crossed his arms over his chest, shrugging lightly, eyes flitting everywhere but where they needed to look. He let himself formulate an answer, trying desperately to find the right words. "I want to take care of you, too." Clay said simply after a while. Tony's brow stayed high on his forehead, the look of question engraining itself more deeply in his eyes. Clay shook his head, stepping forward so they were face to face. He grabbed a grease stained hand, gripping it with his own. "You're always picking me up, planning the dates, hell... coming to my rescue. I want to make you feel half as appreciated as you make me. Driving you sometimes is a good start." 

Tony stared at him for a moment, starstruck. Brown eyes framed with long lashes blinked, that half smile Clay loved so much slipping across his lips. "You're an idiot, babe." Tony spoke quickly, surging forward to press their lips together heatedly. "You don't have to drive to make me feel that way. You could take me anywhere on your bike. I'd ride piggy back with you," Tony laughed while he spoke, this weird affection seeping from every pore. He was being made fun of, but with the best of intentions. "Te amo, Clay Jensen. I'm flattered you want to learn to drive to tote me around. Just know your love is not measured based on that shit. You being my best friend and loving me for me... that's all the appreciation I need. And I get that. Every second we spend together." Tony slapped Clay's cheek softly, his hand staying there when he made contact. "You've got the most beautiful soul, man." 

Clay felt his entire being melt, Tony knowing just what to say. Blue eyes rolled, a light feeling washing over him, making him feel the most relaxed he'd been all day. "I love you, too. You're sneaky, you know that? He of little words is actually Shakespeare. Insane."

Clay beamed, leaning in to press their lips together, their touches soft, chaste in a way that fit the situation completely. "I'm ready for you to drive me around, then. I'm getting kind of hungry." Tony reached up, sliding his thumb across Clay's cheek, leaving grease in his wake. A smirk pulled on Tony's lips and he stepped away, ducking back under the hood. 

Clay stood still, unmoving. He wanted to take this all in. Learning new shit about himself and Tony deserved all of his attention. After a couple of cleansing breaths, Clay blinked and focused on the sight in front of him. A denim clad ass swung ever so slightly in front of him as Tony worked. Tongue sliding across his lower lip, Clay settled, content to enjoy ever second of the view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm such a fan of Tony showing Clay the way while Clay is secretly showing Tony the way, too. Plus I'm a sucker for cars, so this was a fun one to write. We'll see more of this later, as well as the winter formal. If you've got any ideas you want to see, let me know. As always, thanks for the read.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony's ex makes an appearance that goes a little wonky.

The bell rang late in the afternoon, Tony making his way leisurely to his locker. Clay was meeting with a teacher after this, so the shorter guy had a little bit of time to kill. The crowd dispersed around him, everyone in such a hurry all the damn time. More than anything, Tony wanted time to slow down. They were already approaching the middle of November. Before long, they'd be in the last couple semesters of their senior year. He wanted to cling, dig his heels in, and demand time take a break. Though, he knew that'd never happen. 

Getting to his locker, Tony flicked the dial in the intricate combination, unlocking it with practical ease. The door swung open, the squeaking hinges on it dragging his attention to the inside. A recent addition caught his eye, a soft smile playing across his lips. The Polaroid hanging there was a sneaky Clay Jensen gift. 

\--- 

His boyfriend looked semi-guilty after fourth period yesterday, his eyes bright, cheeks aflame with the most gorgeous blush. Tony didn't even mind the guilty look. He let himself get trapped under the weight of the pretty red color high on Clay's cheekbones. When they got to his locker, Clay shifted impatiently foot to foot. Tony's eyebrows quirked questioningly, though he didn't say anything. The door opened wide, smacking into the locker next to it. He heard a sharp intake of breath, Tony chuckling at the impatience of his love. The other couldn't contain himself when excitement and nerves overtook him. 

It took a couple tense minutes before Tony finally noticed what it was Clay seemed anxious about. He finished putting his books away before plucking the picture from the back of the door. The guy even used a magnet, making sure the picture was completely unharmed. Brown eyes took in the glossy finish of the two of them grinning at the camera. Clay just finished his driving test, passing with flying colors. They were waiting for the guy to finish the paperwork when Tony snapped the picture. He'd been waiting with it since he saw the testing car pull up. Clay went about the rest of the process while Tony waited, both on the boy and for the picture to reveal itself. By the time the other was done with everything and was holding his new license, big grin included, their moment frozen in time was finally developed. Tony held it out to Clay, a soft smile on his face. "So you can remember your first big boy moment." The words were teasing, but his voice was gentle, affectionate. Clay didn't end up replying, instead lip on lip did the talking, both him and Tony glad to let that happen. 

Clay waited patiently for Tony to return from the memory of the picture. Looking over his shoulder, Tony could see it and felt grateful. That's what pictures are for, he thought. Their eyes locked then, the extreme amount of restraint pulling Clay's lips into a grimace. "It's awesome, man. I take damn good pictures," Tony spoke out, turning the picture in his hands. Beautiful blues rolled skyward, Clay letting out a little sigh. "Would you turn it over?" Clay retorted, shooting him a look. 

Tony did what he was told, flipping the photo over so the black was highlighted. On the white edging, he noticed handwriting. He looked up, Clay nodding as the realization finally washed over him. The boy was trying to tell him something. Or something... His eyes moved across the line of text. 

"Operation Winter Formal: Step #1. T + C - 11.09.18." 

Drawing his lip between his teeth, Tony forced the big smile threatening to pull across his face down some. The thing looked more like a smirk with the interruption of his teeth. He moved his eyes over Clay slowly, waiting an extra second to finally make some eye contact with the other boy. His boyfriend's posture was rigid, anxiety crawling all over him. That thought pushed him forward, the time to make Clay sweat now over. "Operation Winter Formal?" Tony decided to ask, tapping the words. 

Clay smiled at him, his eyes excited now that the door was open for him to do whatever this whole thing was all about. "Operation Winter Formal is my plan to ask you to the dance. This is step two. That day was one of my favorites. I pull the memory up often since. I thought maybe we could make more like it. At the dance. You and me..." he took a second to finish, Tony watching with rapt attention. "Do you want to go? I mean... to the dance with me?" Clay finished the whole thing with the most genuine smile Tony'd ever witnessed. He couldn't help a mimicking one sliding across his own cheeks.

"Yeah, of course. Clay, I told you before, you didn't have to learn to drive for me. I'll take your skinny ass anywhere, Corazon." Despite being in the hallway at school, Tony pulled him close, pressing his lips against the other's. The move was quick, their environment calling for it. They could celebrate later. "It might be nice to be driven around, too," Tony mumbled after a couple minutes, a laugh in his tone. Clay rolled his eyes, grabbing the picture. "You're a shit." Clay stuck his tongue out at him. Tony watched as his thumb stroked the picture before he neatly let the magnet do its work. 

\--- 

Tony's smile grew, the fondness for that recollection something he hoped never went away. The warmth of the moment was interrupted, however. A higher pitched voice saying his name had him looking up. Hannah Baker was barreling towards him, for the first time in a long time, a look of frustration gracing her cheeks. 

"Hey chica, where's the fire?" Tony asked, his shoulders shrugging, hands coming up in a questioning gesture. Though she tried to shoot him a smile, Hannah still looked pretty aggravated. "I've heard something and I know that it's true, so I'm here to tell you before anything happens." She said the words quickly, the girl having a hard time with it. "Brad is stirring things up. I guess he's not very happy that you're happy with Clay. He said Clay was the main reason the two of you didn't make it. He's coming to talk to you, he said he wants you back." By the time Hannah got all of that out, her face was red. She kept her eyes downcast. Tony knew just how much people talking could trash everything. She'd been on the tail end of it more often times than not. 

He moved to wrap an arm around her shoulder, pulling her smaller body against him. "Thanks for telling me. I'll handle it. Brad and I didn't work because Brad sucks. Clay didn't have anything to do with it. At least, not for me." Tony nodded as he spoke, happy that the words were completely true. He and Brad broke up shortly after all the stuff happened with the tapes. Brad was always demanding more of him; demanding to be more open, demanding they talk more, demanding they spend all their time together. Tony didn't do demands. That's not what he wanted from someone he shared his life with. Giving her another squeeze, the boy stepped away to lean against the locker next to his own. Both hands came up, fingers running through the gelled pieces of his hair. 

One thing he admired the most about Brad initially was his drive and the way he knew what he wanted. As someone still trying to navigate that piece of himself, Tony thought being with someone who knew what they wanted could help him do that. Instead of being the pleasurable experience where he used wisdom from someone been there and done that, it became about control, who and who Tony wasn't talking with. His could've been role model turned from something shiny and hopeful to this, an ignorant threat. The feeling of embarrassment, hell, stupidity, walked across his skin, settling deep in his pores and sinking down, down, down- taking root. His stomach rolled, this being the first time he truly regretted a person introduced into his life and their mow place in it. 

Hannah placed a hand on his forearm, patting a couple times. "Good luck, Padilla. Let me know if you end up having to kick his ass." The girl shot him a wink, then turned in the direction she came from. The frustration on her face was gone by the time she turned the corner. He couldn't say if she felt less of it, or was trying to be upbeat for him. Things were looking better for her, he could tell merely by the way she carried herself. Happiness sprung her steps. The weight of passed mistakes was no longer holding her down like quicksand. She wasn't let people who didn't matter bother her; something Tony hoped he could remember himself. 

Now that Hannah was gone, Tony turned, swinging his fist into the locker. Of course, he thought. The guy wasn't just a controlling boyfriend, but a terrible person on top of it. Who made grief for a happy couple for no reason whatsoever. Stupid question, but just the thought made him angry. He appreciate growing with Clay, the experience so different, the results clear and bright on his face and heart. Tony was crystal clear when he broke it off. There'd never be a them again. Tony wanted to be himself without asking permission. That would never happen with Brad. Shaking his hand, Tony cursed the boy. His hand hurt, a bruise on his knuckles already starting to form, and the desire to deal with anything like this was low, lower than low. He wanted to bask in his happiness, happiness that wouldn't ever be found with Brad. Why couldn't that be done in peace? 

Like the guy was in his brain, Brad turned the corner, a big grin on his face when he met Tony's eyes. "Hey, you," Brad said, his voice sticky sweet, the nature of it making Tony want to roll his eyes. The shorter guy eyed the other up and down, staying silent. He stood, his brow quirked before responding. "Hey, man," Tony responded, his voice dry, a total one-eighty from Brad's. His ex looked at him surprised for a second then shook it off, the fake smile growing more. "I've been wanting to talk to you," the taller guy said, his tone unchanged. "Yeah, I heard something like that. You've gotta know that I'm not interested," Tony reiterated that fact by slamming his locker door. 

"I'm with Clay. I love Clay," Tony spoke up again, putting some distance between them. He tried to take another step away, but Brad spoke up again, his facing taking a bit more menacing of a look. "You were with me at one point, too. In love with Clay like you are now, never giving me a chance. I want you back. I want that chance," Brad's words were thrown from his mouth, spoken forcefully, meant to induce fear probably. Tony shook his head, his eyes narrowing. He took a wider stance, anger and the slightest bit of disappointment washing over him. A piece of him wanted to think better of the guy he used to know. That naive benefit of the doubt was absolutely not the case. 

"Our breakup had nothing to do with Clay. You think you can control me and I just don't like that. I don't want to ask permission. You're not the guy I want to do life with, man. I'm sorry." Tony kept his voice level, but his fingers were dangling by his sides, tingling and ready to form a fist if it came to that. He wouldn't be manipulated, especially when it came to something like this. Who he was in their relationship the first time never cut it. He didn't want to change of anyone but himself and wouldn't be forced to. Clay gave him that; easily and without a second thought. 

Brad moved forward, trying to close the distance. Tony took a couple steps back, but he was blocked in by the other row of lockers, if he stepped anymore, his back would be pinned against them. The peace and tranquility of the hallway earlier turned to something heavy and tense, no longer welcomed. A random interruption would be lovely at the moment. The shorter guy pulled little gasps of air into his lungs, trying to calm himself down. He needed to keep the situation in control. Though, the opening for that was slowly closing, his chances to escape or move or do anything were growing slim.

"It's over, alright? Just leave me alone. You're being pushy. It's-" Tony's words were cut off by big hands pushing him back, and a big, not Clay shaped body encroaching in his space. "What the fuck?" Tony shouted, eyes wide. Brad was staring him down, ignoring the question completely, the silence enhancing the tension built upon that gaze. Height, or his lack thereof was always his disadvantage. It'd prove, yet again, to be one. 

The squeaking of shoes down the hall got Brad's attention. Clay came into focus the moment Tony was able to push away from the locker, his knee coming up to slam into Brad's junk. The taller guy doubled over, looking at him like he'd just kicked his dog. Tony did commit an offense against the guy code, but the reasoning behind it excused the action. He took a couple quick steps towards his boyfriend who was looking at him with enraged and confused eyes, Tony doing his best to put space between them and the doubled over guy down the hall. "Fuck you!" 

Tony moved his body like he was going to run back in the direction of Brad, his fists clenching and unclenching; the appendages antsy and so eager to knock the hell out of his ex. No one needed to treat his relationship like Brad just did. When it came to how people treated him, well, the knee in the groin probably spoke volumes- no one got to touch him like that, relationship or not. Seventeen years of being on the planet told him to do whatever he could to make sure it never happened and even more when it did. 

Clay's hands on his shoulders stopped him. Long fingers digging ever so slightly into his skin, the touch keeping him grounded and in the moment. "He's not worth it," his boyfriend mumbled, his hands moving from his shoulders to wrap completely around his top half. Tony didn't see the flash of red in Clay's eyes or the promising look he shot Brad's way. Clay pulled him back against his chest, the arms around him tightening. Eyes closing, Tony took long deep breaths, forcing calm, soaking up comfort. Little by little, he felt himself relax enough to not charge forward, to not do something so incredibly stupid. One of his arms came up, grabbing at Clay's arms, desperate for skin and heat and warmth. The other came up, too, his pointer finger extended, the end of it pointed in Brad's direction. "Don't. Ever again." The words were spoken with a finality, so much so that Brad nodded his head quickly. Tony hated being this mad. Hated the fact that people looked at him the way his ex was right now. He forced his eyes shut, giving in completely to Clay. 

His boyfriend didn't miss a beat. Tony felt himself being turned in Clay's arms. A soft kiss was planted against his forehead, then he was tucked safely under Clay's arm. Tony leaned into him, his arm wrapping around Clay's waist so there wasn't anymore space between them. They walked steadily, neither boy wanting to stick around and see what could have come from that unpleasant scene. 

A couple minutes later, Clay deposited Tony against the side of his car. Tony let his hip lean against the door, but when Clay went to pull away, the boy threw both his arms around his neck. "Thanks for stopping me from doing something stupid," Tony muttered, each word miserably spoken against the skin of Clay's neck. He'd ducked his head there to soak up the concentrated smell of Clay residing in that spot. And that was really what it was all about. So many stupid things could've happened there. Tony's control was blown the second his back hit the meat of the locker, the second he heard the hollow crush of it. Brad could've done something to him and more importantly, Tony would've- he would've finished what the other started. There were still parts of him that wanted to stalk back into the building and return some of the hopeless feelings that washed over him in that confined space. 

Clay took a step back, separating them. His hands moved to cup both of Tony's cheeks, thumbs moving reassuringly over the tanned skin. "I came around the corner and saw you pinned to the locker. I thought, well, you don't want to know. It doesn't make my jealous ass look real good right now. Then I saw you rear back and catch him right in the balls. What the hell happened, Tony?" The question sounded harsh to Tony's ears, but he knew it wasn't. Clay was upset. He couldn't hold that against him. 

"I knew you needed to see Bradley, so I headed back to my locker. I was chilling, switching out my books and here comes Hannah," Clay held up a hand at that, his eyes questioning. "Our Hannah?" he asked, trying to puzzle everything out. "Our Hannah. She told me Brad was looking for me, pissed but wanting to get back together." Tony stopped, closing his eyes. His stomach rolled at he thought of Brad. He felt so insanely sick that he'd even given that guy any time in his life whatsoever. "He found me. It started out civil, then I walked myself into a corner and he took advantage. You saw the tail end of it. You saw me almost lose my control... again." 

Both hands came up, his signature nervous tick taking him over. Fingers ran through his hair, not caring if he tugged the gel loose a single bit. He let his fingers dig in, nails scraping against his scalp. The little flashes of pain grounded him. He couldn't let his mind drift away from the right here and now, not when what just happened needed to be processed and put away. 

Clay pried his hands away, shaking his head. "Sounds like you didn't do a single thing wrong. Most people would want to beat up the person trapping them against a locker. Just... not all of them can dish out the kind of damage you can." Clay paused, letting himself laugh. "Not any of them." He corrected himself, a soft smile on his face. 

Looking up at Clay, Tony felt himself smile a little, too. Blue eyes projected so much love and need to care for him, brown ones could only melt under those feelings. Tony didn't need to see the madness in Clay's eyes earlier, or know the full extent of his anger towards the situation. He dropped his hands, once again reaching for Clay. When he pressed himself against the length of Clay's body this time, it was to show love and that only. 

\--- 

Instead of sticking around with Clay like he normally would, Tony dropped him off and headed home. The sense of hurt he felt had nothing to do with Clay, and the last thing he wanted to do was take it out on him. They parted with a soft kiss on the lips, Clay smiling the cutest half smile. "Love you," his boyfriend mumbled, long fingers passing one more time through Tony's hair before pulling away completely. "I love you, too, Clay." Tony let his lips fall into a returning half smile, though it took so much out of him. 

He didn't think much on the drive home, mind numb. Trust was a fickle thing. A person gave it away so freely to have it thrown back in their face just as easily. Tony wasn't even that type of person. It took a lot for him to trust. Once he trusted someone, though, it meant they deserved it, that he'd protect the trust and nurture it. If that were the case, how did he fall so carelessly into Brad's trap? At one point in time, he relied on the guy. For a split second, he was encouraging and supportive. The guy was attentive, so much so that it turned into what it did. Brad wanted control, wanted this so much that a lifetime of friendship came between them. Little by little, the trust deteriorated. By the end, Tony let it, each blow up and argument between them proving more and more how little the trust he'd given was deserved. 

The trouble was, he knew how much he could trust Clay. A lifetime of friendship proved that, showed it inexplicably. He just... hated himself for being weak. So weak that he'd been with someone so sinister. He almost let that sinister person drive him towards something real stupid. How many times could he get lucky in terms of stupid things leading to more stupid things? He couldn't beat people up left and right, he couldn't let that anger win. It was exhausting, but he couldn't let it win. 

By the time he got home, all Tony wanted to do was crawl into his bed and snuggle deep within the confines of his sheets. Not for the first time since leaving Clay back at his house did he hate the fact that he wasn't encased in a Jensen burrito. The solitude seemed like a nice way to recover, but it that thought seemed silly now. Wallowing wasn't a form of recovery. He and Clay were each other's shoulders, there for all things. Sighing, Tony clunked up the stairs. Not a word was spoken to anyone in the house. He barely got his boots off before he was face down on the bed, pillow just barely under his head. Sleep came fast, despite being more than restless. 

Tomorrow would be better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of inner Tony thoughts, I hope that's alright. We'll see Clay's reaction to this in the next chapter. Brad's gonna make one more appearance so Clay can deal with him. So, stay tuned. As always, thanks for the read!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clay has a little talk with Brad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry I just sort of disappeared. My wedding was last Saturday and I've been on my honeymoon all this week, so writing wasn't at the top of the list. But! I'm back and ready to update my two chapter stories, so he on the lookout for that. If there's anything you guys would like to see, leave a comment below. As always, thanks for the read. Especially after the big gap between chapters!

Rounding the corner to find Tony with his back pinned against the locker and Brad practically on top of him wasn't the way Clay figured he'd end his already shitty day. Bradley sucked, as per usual, and his AP Lit paper was under intense scrutiny. All and all, he wanted nothing more than to embrace Tony, spend the afternoon together and settle down early for a long night's sleep. That, however, wasn't going to be the case. 

His entire body seized up. First, the anger hit. For an instant, Clay let himself believe that Tony wanted to be in that position. Second, the realization that Tony was in fact being forced into the position brought the rage. His eyes opened wide, nostrils flaring. Blue eyes, normally so bright with life, were storm clouds of emotion. He shot a death glare Brad's way, taking a step toward the two guys as he did. Of course, Tony had it covered, just like he always did. A huff left his chest when his boyfriend's knee found the other's crotch. Now wasn't the time, he told himself. He'd deal with Brad later. 

For the first time in a while, Clay needed to take care of Tony. The shorter guy stalked back towards him, eyes open, pupils dilated with fear and adrenaline. Clay immediately flashed back to the look he saw cross Tony's face before he beat the hell out of Monty. They were the same, both menacing and the slightest bit heart breaking. His arms were on Tony before he could even think about it. He knew the boy put so much on his shoulders and would take this to heart, too. Tony would never be able to forgive himself if Clay let him go at Brad the way they both wanted to. He held tight, standing his ground both against Tony's need to let out the anger, and Brad who wouldn't let something that wasn't his go. 

Clay didn't breath a sigh of relief until they were in the parking lot and Tony's eyes were back to their normal size. All the madness was gone, replaced with sadness and a bit of self-pity. Normally bright brown eyes were clouded with the weight of what just happened. Tony didn't need to feel bad about anything. Especially after he got the entire story. Clay wanted to take the burden away. And he knew the perfect way to do it.

\--- 

Clay couldn't help the disappointment that welled in him when Tony didn't come inside, but understanding came first. They'd planned to beat each other equally at video games, adding some pizza and soda into the mix. The one shiny thing at the end of his shitty day. He couldn't hold it against him, though. After a trauma like that, all Clay would want to do is go home and sleep, too. 

The free afternoon gave him way too much time to think. What would have happened if he didn't make it around the corner at the time that he did. Tony could defend himself, there wasn't any question about that. Yet, Clay knew that some people were passed the point of stopping. The way Brad looked at Tony told him everything he needed to know. There were no innocent intentions on that guy's mind. 

The helpless feeling actually helped to empower him. He'd gotten there in time and instead of something terrible, something a bit more like a gift in disguise happened. Tony could easily say he kept himself in control. Even though Clay kept him restrained for a short amount of time, Tony made the decision to keep it together. For Clay, the entire situation reminded him that Tony was just a human, fragile and breakable just like everyone else. He could be there for Tony. Protection wasn't limited to himself and Hannah and Jeff. Who stepped up for Tony when the stuff got rough for him? He knew the guy's family would always be there, but situations like today, Clay was almost too late and they'd been in the same damn building. A feeling welled up inside of him. It bubbled and boiled over, making him feel possessed. Tony was his. 

He'd only been Tony's friend when Brad and his boyfriend were together. As always, he and Tony were attached at the hip. They were just that close. Ryan, how terrible that guy was, at least didn't mind when Clay tagged along. Clay knew when to keep his distance, of course, but wouldn't give up time with Tony for anything. The best relationships didn't make you give up your friends or your passions, yet Brad wanted them both. Aside from the obvious of Tony being his, Clay also knew he treated the guy so much better than Brad ever could. Not once had he ever compromised the person Tony was. Not once would he ever do that. Clay knew how much pride and respect Tony gave to himself and to being true to that. His heart belonged to the guy, who he was as a person; flaws, friends, and all. 

They'd built so much happiness based on that simple fact. No way would Clay allow someone to come in and ruin that. Just by planting a seed of doubt, Tony could creep back into a shell of protecting himself and his feelings, leaving Clay outside wondering. Thinking about the Monty situation, the boy refused to go through that again. Not when he could easily take care of the situation himself. How could he sit still while Tony hurt for no good reason? The boy would blame himself, his own upstanding character. Brad, who deserved so much more than a knee to the nuts would probably sleep soundly, the turmoil within Tony that he caused not a thought at all. That couldn't be the case. Suffering needlessly wasn't something Clay wanted Tony to do. 

Thinking on his feet, Clay kicked his computer on. He found Facebook before he could even think. Clay shuddered at the thought; technology really was running their lives. Shrugging that away, the boy clicked onto Brad's profile. As he thought, his number was listed in his profile. The guy's smiling face making the emotions floating within him thrum. Blue eyes rolled; what a douche. The next second, he quickly plugged it into his phone, immediately sending a text off. 

Clay: Hey Brad. This is Clay.  
Clay: I shouldn't have to say this, but we've gotta talk.  
Clay: Monet's in 20. 

A satisfied sigh left his lips. There wasn't any way Brad could possible get out of this. The guy was lucky he was going about this in a courteous way. If he hadn't waited, if getting Tony out of the situation wasn't the most important thing, things would've gone a lot differently. Clay didn't talk with his fist, but some situations called for that language. He still didn't really know what he was going to do, but Clay knew he needed to see this through. Brad developed a problem with him so long ago. They'd never talked, despite the few times Clay tried when he and Tony were dating. It seemed like now was the perfect time to have a long, long, long overdue conversation. 

His cell phone pinged with an incoming text a minute later, Clay moving his hand to pick it up before it even finished. 

Brad: I'll be there. 

Clay nodded, though the other guy couldn't see him. He got up from his perch on the bed, long legs moving across his room to grab his wallet (with his brand new license!) He then walked down the stairs. His mom looked up when he came into the kitchen, her same blue eyes softening. "Hey, honey. No Tony today?" she asked, a little bit of surprise in her voice. Even his parents knew how out of the ordinary the two of them not being together was. "Not today. He wasn't feeling good after school, so he just went home. I might swing by his place later." Clay stumbled for a second, still antsy about borrowing the car and driving in general. "Can I borrow the keys? Since I'm not hanging out with Tony, I think I'm gonna get some homework done at Monet's." His chest felt tight with the lie, though, it came easily. The prospect of explaining the situation to his mother made him shudder. A little white lie won't hurt her. 

His mom's voice brought him back from the thought. Her hand came up, grabbing his shoulder lightly. "Sure, honey. Just be careful." Her eyes shone as she spoke, like him driving and growing up was this monumental thing. Tony loved to give him shit about how into his life his mom was, but then followed it by saying that that kind of love is the best, regardless of how annoying. A soft smile played across his lips at the thought. He beamed more when he looked at her, nodding. "Don't worry about that," he replied, winking. She handed him the keys the next second. Clay walked by and grabbed them, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. "I'll be home before it gets too late." 

\---

Walking into Monet's always felt like home. He'd been there so many times with Tony and Hannah over the passed couple months, Skye just needed to see him to get his order ready. They hadn't ordered in forever. Today, however, Clay walked up to the counter, his entire body thrumming with energy and pent up upset. The distraction of an old friend would be the perfect way to calm down. Upon seeing him, Skye smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Does that have anything to do with your visit up here?" She said in a way of greeting, her head nodding towards the corner wheee Brad sat. "Not that I mind. You've just been a lazy ass for the passed couple months," Skye finished, her smirk growing bigger. Clay couldn't help but laugh, despite the shit boiling inside of him. "I was going to say I just wanted to see your pretty face, but you caught me. I'm sure you heard about Brad stirring stuff up," Clay stopped for a second, looking over his shoulder. His skin crawled ever so slightly. "He tried to force Tony into something earlier and I'm hoping that talking helps. I'm not the best at punching." 

They both laughed at that. Skye shook her head, then got serious. Her nimble fingers roved the counter, making his drink before he could even order. "For your troubles, then," she muttered, the finished product being pushed across the counter. Clay moved to pull his wallet out, but was stopped. "On the house. Get over there. I have a first aid kit just in case," Skye's eyes shone as she spoke, the girl trying hard not to laugh at the situation. Even she knew when serious shit was serious. 

Clay tipped his head and shot her a soft smile. "Thanks, Skye," he replied, grabbing the cup and lifting it, the gesture like a salute. Before he turned his back completely, she spoke again, this time, the smile moving over her cheeks despite the effort. "Good luck." 

A breath left his chest, the sound like a huff, both of laughter and returning anger. Skye could only be a distraction for so long. Brad was there and Clay was so ready to get the guy out of their lives. Or, at least get him away from Tony. 

Trying his best to be intimidating, Clay slammed the bottom of his coffee cup against the table Brad sat at. The fleeting thought of breaking the cup flashed through his head, but just looking at the other guy had it leaving very quickly. "Brad." Clay said the name severely, his mind still shouting at him to stay dominant, to try and hold the reins of this encounter. 

The taller guy looked at him. Though Clay could see the slightest bit of shame, he also knew what happened wasn't going to deter the other guy. A part of him couldn't blame Tony's ex; he'd have a hard time letting go of the boy, too. That didn't excuse the behavior, however. Nothing would ever excuse something like that. 

Using the time it took to sit down across from Brad, Clay recollected himself. Anger and rage boiled in the pot of his stomach, threatening with white hot heat to bubble over. Just seeing the guy brought him back to the hallway, to the look on Tony's face. A piece of his brain shouted for justice, for violence; he wanted to see that same look on Brad's face. That wouldn't help Tony. He knew that. Remembering, well, that seemed more difficult when the emotion started to overtake him. 

Finally tucked into the seat, Clay let both hands wrap around his cup. Only then did blue eyes tilt, looking up at Brad. He kept his glance neutral, wondering if the other boy would speak first. A couple minutes of long silence and unbroken eye contact said that wouldn't be the case. Clay, taking another second to collect himself, brought the coffee cup to his lips, sucking up a big gulp. He let the heat trail down his threat, relishing in the different kind of warmth sitting in his stomach. 

"I'm not here to warn you off," Clay finally said. Brad's eyes widened, the boy looking like he wanted to say something. Clay cut him off with a hand, halting whatever bull shit might've come out. He kept his hand up, up until Brad sat back again. "There's not a point to that. You think you have some weird claim over him, and me telling you to stay away isn't going to change that. What I'm here to find out is why? Why do you think Tony belongs to you? Why do you think his happiness is worth less because it's not with you. I was there, man. I heard and saw the way you treated him. Why do you care now? Is it me?" Clay didn't stop until he got the entire stream of consciousness out. He didn't mean to ask so many questions, but as they poured from his mouth, he knew he needed to know the answers to them. 

Looking expectantly, Clay glimpsed Brad roving over his chair, trying to find a comfortable position. Good, he thought, this should be anything but comfortable. 

After another couple loud scoots of the chair on the floor below them, Brad finally opened his mouth. Eyes stayed downcast as he spoke, the questions just as hard to answer as they were to ask. "We never had a chance. Me and Tony. We never had a chance with you around. It... I never got the chance to make him happy the way that you can," Brad finally replied, bitterness and shame slipping out in his tone. "I never got the chance." 

Clay sat for a second, thinking about the many opportunities Brad got throughout his and Tony's relationship. Instead, they spent time bickering. Instead, Brad wasn't ever happy with the level of affection Tony would willingly give. The boy across from him always seemed to want more, and that observation came from just being around them every now and again. He didn't want to think about what might've gone on in private. Sucking in a deep breath, Clay tried to formulate that all into words. 

"Did it ever occur to you that happiness might not have been in the cards for the two of you... even without me being there? Tony is amazing how he is. You wanted, probably still want, to change him. That'll never make him happy. He doesn't pressure me to change, to be something that I'm not. He'll never respond to someone doing that to him. I've know the guy most of my life and he's always been exactly who he is. His family couldn't change that, the people around him couldn't change that, and you sure as hell won't. There's no need for it. Why would you want to be with someone you felt like you needed to change, anyway? He's fucking beautiful... exactly the way he is." 

Clay stopped, his breathing forced his chest to heave, making it a bit uncomfortable. He needed to calm the hell down. He needed to remember that this was for Tony, this was to help the guy understand his actions weren't ever about Tony. 

"What I think is that you don't want him to be happy being who he is because you couldn't make him into what you wanted. Here's the thing; he'll never be that. And I know for a fact that you'll never be what he wants, either. At least, not right now. Accepting that is your best bet. If you feel anything for Tony at all, you'll accept that fact, you'll let him be and never ever do anything like you did this afternoon." 

With that Clay sat back. His entire body felt exhausted, his mind completely fucked from all the emotions and trying to keep them all in check. He took another deep breath, then pushed back from the table.

Brad looked up at him questioningly, no response on his lips, only curiosity. It didn't surprise Clay that he hadn't responded. Hard headed people were hard to reach. "That's all I wanted to say to you. I hope that you decide to let it go," he mumbled, turning his back to head towards the door. After a couple steps, he looked over his shoulder, catching Brad's eyes. "Take this how you will, but if I ever see or hear or catch wind that you're in his proximity, I won't be nice again. Respect only goes so far." Turning back around after watching the guy's eyes bug, Clay chuckled to himself; maybe he was there to warn him off after all. 

\--- 

The drive to Tony's house let him calm ever so slightly. He had no clue what Brad was going to do. He hoped for his hand's sake that he wouldn't have to get physical, but then again, he'd do anything for Tony. Anything; including breaking some knuckles if he had to. 

A soft smile played across his lips at that thought. In his whole life, he'd never really felt that way about anything. It felt good, good to know he could protect and be protected in return. By the time he pulled up outside of Tony's house, Clay was exhausted, but so damn proud of himself. Becoming a man wasn't so bad. 

Long legs carried him from his parked car to the Padilla's front door. He didn't even need to raise his hand to knock. The door swung open the second he reached the porch. Mrs. Padilla stood there, looking at him with worried eyes. "Clay, I'm so glad that you're here," she stated, a breath of relief audibly leaving her lips. "He never does this. Comida always gets him to come out." She looked nervous, the little woman leading him up the stairs obviously worried for her boy. "He's probably sleeping, but you go on inside. He'll want to see you," Mrs. Padilla spoke out when they reached the door to Tony's room. She gave him a reassuring smile, though it looked a bit more forced than anything else. Clay smiled back, reaching out to touch her arm softly. 

When he pulled away, Clay sucked in a breath and opened the door. The room was dark and a Tony sized lump lay spread across the entire bed. Not worrying about his mother any longer, Clay stepped inside. His boyfriend's head immediately popped up, eyes sleepy and wet, probably from exhaustion and sadness. "Ma, I told you-" Tony mumbled, the boy stopping short when he noticed Clay. "Oh, Corazon." The words were said with a sleepy tone, the softness of his voice a little heartbreaking. Strong arms wrapped around him before Clay could even think to react. Tony pulled him until Clay listened to the silent plea, his body lowering until he was pressed both against Tony's chest and the mattress below. "I'm glad you're here," Tony babbled against his neck, the boy practically falling back to sleep in the moment. Though he'd need to leave in the near future, Clay felt perfectly content to lay there, soaking the comfort up and trying his best to give as much back as he could- just by being there. "I'm glad I'm here, too," he replied softly, the words unheard, yet more true than ever.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony finally gets his head out of his butt after the Brad incident.

After the catastrophe with Brad, Tony felt like he needed to be watching his back at all times. The entire school was thrumming with excitement for the upcoming Winter Formal, yet, Tony found himself feeling more and more withdrawn from it all. He tried. For Clay, he tried to be confident and upbeat like the boy knew him to be. He wasn't sure it was working, though, no matter how hard the try was. What he thought of himself and the world was a little skewed now, and that made it hard to be excited about anything. His trust being broken so easily made him second guess all the trusting he’d been doing for so long. How could he possibly be so wrong about someone when for a short period of time, his heart beat in time just for them? What did that say about him as a person? The fact that he couldn’t answer any of those questions made it all worse. He could see this dragging himself down. He felt it every time he should’ve been excited by something, but wasn’t. Clay hadn’t said anything yet, but his boyfriend knew him pretty well. Tony wouldn’t be able to silently muddle through all of this for much longer. 

The day after the incident, Tony woke to a heavy presence against his chest. His entire body felt on fire from the combined body heat. It took him a second to blink awake, but when he did, the sight made his heart beat harder; both from excitement and surprise. Clay told him later how he’d spoken to both him and his mom the night before, but he couldn’t remember a thing. His being wrapped him up in protective covering and allowed sleep to be the healing elixir. It warmed him, though, thinking that even his unconscious self loved and trusted Clay so damn much; enough to bring him into that protective covering with him. Which is why he was struggling so hard with the thoughts in his head. Clay hadn’t done a single thing to not be trusted. Hell, Clay checked in and told him about what he was doing way more than Tony thought necessary. That was just Clay and he accepted that; even liked it for what it was. The pieces of him struggling with trust and the rightness of it battled hard against his heart and the part of his brain that knew the struggle was for nothing. Clay wasn’t Brad. That was probably one of the main reasons Brad did what he did to begin with. Brad wouldn’t ever live up to Clay and the feelings he brought out in Tony. He should’ve known that, he should’ve never let himself be convinced of anything different. 

A situation that he didn’t hold any of the blame for was slowly tearing him apart. He couldn’t help but blame himself for the weakness, for the stupidity of letting Brad in to begin with. More than anything, though, he hated himself for being such a wimp about it. There were so many amazing things in his life that letting this stick around made him the angriest of all. 

His body warring with itself weighed so heavily upon him that he’d fallen asleep in French twice that week. Both times, he woke to see blue eyes looking at him curiously. Clay never said a word, of course, the boy so good at letting him have some distance. Tony could tell he wanted to. So incredibly badly it seemed Clay wanted to speak up. They continued, though; each boy plowing through the days, both trying their best to hold onto the other. 

\--- 

A couple days before the Winter Formal, Tony heard a melodic voice he couldn’t help but smile at. Turning his head, a genuine smile slipped across his cheeks when Hannah came into view. Her hair was growing out again, the stage it was at both cute and probably unruly, if the headband she wore had anything to say about it. “Tony, Tony, Tony,” she started, leaning against the locker next to his, both her arms crossing against her chest. “I can’t take seeing you like this anymore. I haven’t seen unhelpful Yoda in days and it’s really starting to bum me out.” She looked at him pointedly as she spoke, her usually playful eyes dancing with concern. It was almost funny, the reversing of the tables like this. Not long ago, Tony looked at her the same way, concern and the need to help shining through his brown eyes. Sucking in a breath, Tony shook that away, nodding at the words she was speaking now. “I know. I know I’ve been a total drag,” he mumbled, closing his eyes. He let his forehead rest against the shelf in his locker, books long forgotten. “I’m bumming myself out. I don’t even want to think about what Clay might be thinking right now.” He shuddered at the thought. He never wanted to disappoint or upset Clay. Their whole lives, he’d been working to make Clay as happy as possible; first as a friend, then as his boyfriend. The selfishness of his actions only added to the guilt—the entire situation a never ending cycle. 

“Well, snap the fuck out of it!” Hannah said, breaking through the thoughts he’d been so thoroughly locked onto. The pitch of her voice had him looking up, drawing away from the perch his head rested against. Her eyes were wide, the girl probably shocking herself with the volume of her words. Her features softened and she leaned forward. “What I mean is, you gave me some really good advice at a really low point in my life, and I’m here trying to do the same for you. Brad—that yucky guy… he’s not worth this. Don’t you see that you’re letting him win? A rift is what he wanted, and you’re giving it to him. Some wise guy told me that how people hurt us, the things that they say—they don’t define us. Not unless we let them.” The use of his own words against him had Tony snapping to attention. What the hell had he been thinking? “Don’t let them okay? You and Clay make me want to vomit with how good for each other you are. I’d hate to see that ruined because some guy doesn’t know when to back the hell off,” Hannah finished. He saw a sigh of relief leave her chest as the words finally settled between them. Since the Brad thing, he’d forgotten what life was all about, but friendship like this, love like he had with Clay—it could only be ruined if he let himself. This, a concerned girl with big curly hair and bright eyes, this was what life was all about. 

Stepping back, Tony threw his locker door shut—a new sense of energy surging through him. He leaned forward, pressing his lips softly against her cheek. “Thanks, Hannah,” he whispered before pulling away. She smiled, the real kind she saved for their little group of friends. “Yeah, yeah. We’ll talk more later. I think there’s someone else you might need to find now.” She smirked as he nodded enthusiastically. “Too right, Baker. I’ll see you later.” He pressed another kiss to her cheek before brushing passed her. Clay’s free period was just about to start and if he caught him before the boy got to the library, they’d have a whole hour to themselves. 

As luck would have it, Tony skirted around the corner before the library only to come face to face with Clay. The boy looked at him with surprise in his eyes. Blue depths looked him over and a light came back to them. “Hey, babe,” Clay said, trying to sound smooth, like he wasn’t surprised by Tony’s appearance. The shorter boy needed to be in the shop, working on whatever bullshit busy work their teacher was going to give them. This was more important, though. Tony wanted Clay to know that. “Hey yourself. I got my birdhouse done and I’m thinking class might be pointless for me. I thought maybe—since it’s your free period, I could steal you away,” Tony replied, smiling, genuinely beaming for the first time in what seemed like forever.

Clay seemed to relax, each word making him melt more and more. For the first time since all the bullshit Brad’s actions brought up, Tony noticed just how unraveled Clay looked. He hadn’t seen bags under the kid’s eyes like this since they were studying for finals last year. This was a very stressed Clay Jensen and it hurt him to know he’d been the cause of it. Stepping a little closer, Tony wrapped his arm around the other’s shoulder, pulling until Clay’s side was pressed against his own. “Come on. The Mustang hasn’t seen us in the back seat in forever.” Tony kept Clay pressed against his side until the boy submitted, his boyfriend finally allowing the last little bit of exhaustive stress to relax out of him. “Yeah, okay. For the Mustang’s sake… at least,” Clay mumbled, a little chuckle trailing after the words. As he spoke, the taller boy leaned his head against Tony’s own, both of them wanting to soak up the affection they’d been neglecting to give each other over the passed few days. 

Without letting another moment be wasted, Tony dropped his arm and grabbed Clay’s hand instead, automatically lacing their fingers together. To this day, they didn’t hold hands too often while in school, but today called for it. The next few days would call for it, too. He didn’t want to think of it as making up time, but several days passed where they barely touched and that just wasn’t acceptable. 

\--- 

A few minutes later found them wrapped up in each other in the backseat of the Mustang. So many people left during their free periods that the person at the front desk didn’t even blink an eye when they walked passed, hand in hand. A feeling of relief Tony didn’t know he could achieve settled over him. Of course it’d be Hannah Baker to make him see the error of his ways. He owed her a hug or something for forcing him to take his head out of his ass. His arm tightened around Clay’s shoulder, Tony trying so hard to make up for the lack of touch. “I’m sorry, Clay,” Tony murmured against the soft hair atop the boy’s head. “I’m sorry I’ve been locked up in my own shit. I—I know you’ve been worried. I would’ve been, too.” 

Clay stayed silent for a couple moments, Tony wondering if maybe he’d been too late to react. The thought seemed silly, however. Since getting to the car, Clay spent more time trying to get as close to him as possible than anything else. “I—I thought you were mad at me. I never told you, but I went to talk to Brad,” Clay spoke out, his words somewhat muddled against the fabric of Tony’s v-neck. “After you dropped me off, I texted him to meet me at Monet’s. I sort of warned him off and I thought… I thought maybe you were mad at me for doing that. So, I’ve been trying to give you space. I think that just made it worse, though. I could see how much you were struggling and got kind of scared. I didn’t want to make things worse than I already thought I did.” Clay halted, taking in a long, deep breath. “I should’ve been comforting you. I’m sorry I didn’t.” 

Tony shook his head immediately, turning his body so they were face to face. “Don’t apologize, carino. I didn’t know you went to talk to Brad, but that makes this even more shitty on my part. I just ignored anything you tried to do and kept blaming myself. I’m sorry that we’ve missed out on the last couple of days together. I’ve been stuck in my own head, beating my own ass for something I shouldn’t have let bother me at all. Brad’s not worth it, but you are.” Tony waited a beat, letting the words sink in between them. Then, “so what did you say to him, anyway? I would’ve loved to be a fly on that wall.” 

Clay laughed, a sound Tony didn’t know how much he missed until he heard it. Clay’s voice was always pretty melodic, the tones and pitches so much deeper than one would ever imagine. His laugh, though, it sounded in his head and didn’t leave. It was a ‘happy’ Clay sound, something he tried to categorize and remember as much as he could. “I pretty much told him that I’m better than he is and that he needed to stay away,” Clay responded, a smirk slipping across his lips. “Seriously, though, I said if he cared about you at all, he’d respect what you’ve decided. It didn’t hurt to hear that he knew how much you liked me back then, either. A little ego boost for this guy.” Clay pointed a thumb at himself, wiggling his eyebrows. Instead of responding, Tony turned his head until he could press their lips together, which he did—for what little time remained of Clay’s free period. 

By the time they got out of the Mustang, their faces were red and splotchy, both from the heat of small backseat and their connection with the other. Tony cursed the fabric of his favorite jeans for their tightness, not for the first time pressing an erection against the seam of them. Clay watched avidly as he readjusted himself. The boy’s eyes were almost rabid with lust, the color on his cheeks starting to sink lower onto his neck, probably so tantalizingly across his chest, too. Tony felt his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth—arousal coursing through him double time. Those blue eyes caused a weakness in him just by their shade. When Clay looked at him like dessert, well, the effect of those eyes increased exponentially. His cock went from semi-hard and pressing against the seam to rock hard and straining against it. Tony forced himself to take a few breaths. Being hard at school was never on his Bucket List. 

That didn’t seem to matter, however. Clay had another idea. Instead of grabbing his bag and turning towards the school, his boyfriend grabbed him by his shirt, balling the fabric up between tightly grasped fingers. “I can’t focus on calculus right now, even if you weren’t hard and leaking against your jeans. Let’s go somewhere,” Clay whispered, his mouth moving from his ear down the line of his neck and then back up again. Tony let his eyes roll up into his head, heat and flush and want coursing through him so deliciously. Even if he wanted to, he’d never be able to say no to an invitation like that. No class in the world could ever be worth passing up the chance to be this close to Clay. “Yeah, okay. Let’s—let’s go somewhere.” Tony spoke the words and the second they were out of his mouth, the heat of Clay was gone, replaced with wind whipping against him, making it seem that much more cold. “Well, you coming?” Clay asked, looking back over his shoulder with a sly sort of grin. “I hope I will be,” Tony replied back, laughing at the instantaneous coloring of Clay’s cheeks. The boy smiled through it, dilated pupils flashing an even darker black. 

\--- 

After a couple minutes of thinking about where might be the best place, Tony finally pulled the car out of the parking lot. It didn’t help, either, the fact that Clay kept running his fingertips ever so lightly along the prominent bulge in his jeans. His foot played heavily across the gas pedal more often than he cared to admit. They were pulling up in front of his house not long after leaving the school. He knew his mother wouldn’t be home for hours and his father was at a shop across town—dealing with one of his brother’s messes… again. Neither wasted a second getting out of the car, Clay eager to get his hands back on Tony and Tony so ready to finally be able to enjoy the sensual sensations overtaking the conscious part of his brain. 

The garage door opened and Tony took steps to go through the door into the kitchen, but was stopped by Clay pulling him. Blue eyes looked around the garage mischievously, trying to find a surface comfortable enough to hold their weight against it. Tony’s eyes bulged for a second but readjusted quickly. If he were being honest with himself, this was a fantasy he’d been trying to keep at bay since the two started hanging out in here so long ago. It never seemed practical, and there wasn’t ever an opportune moment to even bring it up. That was changing very fast, however. Clay licked his lips, doing the wiggle with his eyebrows that drove Tony absolutely crazy. “The fact that you smell like oil and grease turns me on, Tony. I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to fuck in here,” Clay trailed off, his voice purposely decreasing in volume the more he talked. They’d been together long enough for Tony to know Clay’s tricks. Even if he let himself fall for them every single time. “You have, have you? Well…” Tony spoke just as softly, closing the distance between them. “I think we might be able to make that happen.” As he spoke, Tony wrapped himself around Clay’s back, his hips pressing so nicely against the cleft of his ass. 

Reaching around, Tony let his hips press forward as his hand settled against the bulge in Clay’s jeans. He gave it a rough squeeze, loving the noise falling from the other’s lips because of it. He continued to massage with his hand and thrust his own hips, successfully teasing them both. The magic of being somewhere they weren’t really supposed to be doing something like this drove the arousal level up between them ten fold. Already, Clay was panting from the want—something Tony noticed the boy did when things started to get really intense between them. Tony himself felt his balls start to tighten, his entire body tingling from the amazing feel of Clay against him and the slip-slide of his cock against fabric covered butt cheeks. They both so obviously needed this that it was getting desperate fast. 

Another minute passed by before Clay let out a hard breath, his head turning. “Just fuck me already, Tony.” The words were just barely breathed out, Clay’s face red and sweat covered, need so evident. Tony pressed a kiss to those lips before pulling back, nodding slightly. “I’ve got you, Corazon,” he replied, pressing with his chest to get Clay to move. It only took a few steps for them to collide with a bench still covered in grease-stained rags he’d been working on earlier that morning. He let his body weight press Clay down, his boyfriend moving easily and eagerly into position. 

Nimble fingers reached around to get Clay’s button undone, then the fly. The lack of restriction had Clay’s dick pressing against boxer briefs, making them stick out straight in the air. Tony gave it a couple of quick tugs through the fabric before stepping away to undo his own pants. “Take your jeans and underwear off. Keep the shirt, though. You look sexy with your ass wagging around like that,” Tony commanded, feeling so much more confident, so much more himself. Clay did what he was told, even adding a little wiggle of his ass while taking the position he’d been in before.

He’d never lost his clothes so fast, or rushed through preparation of the other in his life. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to be upset when his cock pressed so nicely into the tight heat of Clay’s ass. The sound his boyfriend made when they were finally pressed flush against each other told him he wasn’t that upset about it, either. Little thrusts to let Clay adjust turned to long, hard ones, the tip of his dick hitting the other’s prostate every few thrusts. Things were over before either could blink, a symphony of ‘Tony’ and ‘Clay’ being called from either of their mouths as the final bits of pleasure overtook them.   
When Tony let himself relax, his orgasm finally flitting through him, he knew things were back to normal. The fleeting thought of not being able to trust or be himself any longer flew out the window with the blame he felt. Tony had the best boyfriend and a great group of friends that he knew he could trust, that he knew he could rely on. It didn’t seem probable, promising himself that he’d never feel the way he did again, but as he pulled himself from Clay and collapsed into him, Tony did it anyway. This was a promise he didn’t ever want to break. 

A few minutes passed as the boys got their breathing back to normal. Clay snuggled against his chest, content and happy to lay there, naked from the waist down for a few more minutes. “Don’t shut me out again, okay?” Clay asked, his voice soft, completely wrecked from their coupling and the shouts that came with it. Tony grinned, rolling until he could press their foreheads together. 

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! We're getting towards the end of this story. I love these boys and its been a blast to watch them come into their own with each other. I started this to see if some happiness could change a tragedy and its been a joy watching that unfold. 20 is the magic number, so there's still a few more yet, not to worry! If there's anything you might want to see in the next couple of chapters, let me know! I love the feedback. I appreciate everyone who's stuck around and enjoyed the stuff I've brought to the table. 
> 
> Like always, thanks for the read!


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